IC-NRLF 


RUSSIA   AS    I    KNOW   IT 


RUSSIA 
AS  I   KNOW  IT 


BY 

HARRY   DE   WINDT,  F.R.G.S. 

AUTHOR  OF 

"SIBERIA  AS  IT  is,"   "FINLAND  AS  IT  IS,"<»"THE  NEW 

SIBERIA,"    "PARIS  TO   NEW  YORK    BY   LAND,"   ETC. 


WITH  NUMEROUS   ILLUSTRATIONS 


PHILADELPHIA 
J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT   COMPANY 

LONDON  :    CHAPMAN    &    HALL,  LTD. 
1917 


PRINTED    IN    GREAT    BRITAIN    BY 
&IOHABD  CLAY  &  SONS,   LIMITED, 

BRUNSWICK    ST.,  STAMFORD    ST.,  S.E., 
AND   BUNOAT     SUFFOLK. 


TO 
MY    FRIEND 

GERARD   WARRINER 


392186 


FOREWORD 


THIS  work  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  an  authority  on 
political,  military  or  social  questions  connected  with  that 
vast  empire,  which,  to  most  Englishmen,  is  a  sealed  book, 
for  it  has  been  chiefly  compiled  from  rough,  and  hitherto 
unpublished  notes,  casually  jotted  down  during  my 
travels  throughout  European  and  Asiatic  Russia.  These 
wanderings  amount  in  the  aggregate  to  over  50,000 
miles,  and  I  may  therefore,  perhaps,  claim  to  speak  with 
some  authority  on  the  conditions  of  life  in  a  country 
where  I  have  passed,  with  intervals,  nearly  four  years 
of  my  life. 

Thus,  I  have  travelled,  on  various  occasions,  from  Pekin 
to  Moscow  (before  the  construction  of  the  Trans-Siberian 
Railway),  from  Petersburg  to  Bombay  (via  Little  Russia, 
the  Caucasus,  Persia,  and  Baluchistan),  and  from  Paris 
to  New  York  "  by  land"  which  latter  journey  (hitherto 
unaccomplished)  took  me  from  Moscow  to  the  Bering 
Straits.  I  have  also  (by  special  desire  of  the  Imperial 
Government)  twice  visited  Siberia  in  order  to  investigate 
its  penal  methods,  these  tours  of  inspection  including 
the  famous  silver  mines  of  Nertchinsk,  and  prisons  on 
the  island  of  Sakhalin.  Previously  to  this,  Mr.  George 
Kennan,  the  American  traveller,  had  horrified  the 
civilized  world  with  his  account  of  the  sufferings  of 
Siberian  exiles,  and  my  journeys  of  inspection  were 
undertaken  with  the  sole  object  of  verifying  this  gentle- 
man's statements,  which,  however,  I  was  unable  to  do, 
the  result  of  my  inquiries  being  as  favourable  as  Mr. 
Kennan' s  were  the  reverse.  I  may  add  that  my  views 
on  the  Siberian  Exile  system  have  since  been  endorsed 
by  English  travellers  of  repute  who  have  followed  in  my 
footsteps,  although  during  my  prolonged  Press  con- 
troversy with  Mr.  Kennan  I  was  accused,  by  more  than 
one  English  newspaper,  of  having  received  a  large  sum 

vii 


viii  FOREWORD 

of  money  from  the  Russian  Government  in  order  to 
"whitewash  "  its  prisons  !  x 

I  shall  now,  however,  deal  chiefly  with  European 
Russia,  without  omitting  those  minor  details  of  town  and 
provincial  life  which,  for  obvious  reasons,  are  not  to  be 
found  in  more  serious  works  on  the  subject.  Wherefore 
the  average  Englishman  has,  at  present,  the  vaguest 
notions  about  everyday  life  in  the  Tsar's  great  empire, 
and  this  I  frequently  find  when  on  returning  therefrom, 
I  am  invariably  asked  :  "  What  sort  of  a  place  is  it?  " 
and  pestered  with  questions  on  subjects  so  trivial,  that 
only  one  intimately  acquainted  with  the  country  could 
furnish  the  desired  information.  My  present  object, 
therefore,  is  to  present  a  bird's-eye  view,  so  to  speak,  of 
the  cities,  towns,  and  villages  of  Russia,  and  to  describe 
people  of  all  classes,  showing  not  only  how  they  toil  and 
take  their  pleasure,  but  also  how  the  stranger  may  best 
conform  to  their  occasionally  curious  manners  and 
customs.  For  I  anticipate  that,  when  this  war  is  over, 
thousands  of  my  countrymen  will  visit  Russia  not  only 
on  business,  but  pleasure  bent,  and  it  is  for  their  benefit 
that  I  shall  now  relate  everyday  experiences  which, 
although  they  would  be  out  of  place  in  an  ordinary  book 
of  travel,  may  prove  useful  to  those  in  quest  of  a  new 
playground.  And  if  the  information  thus  gleaned 
affords  these  tourists  of  the  future  any  assistance  in  their 
wanderings  through  the  most  mysterious,  and  therefore 
most  fascinating,  country  in  Europe,  Russia  as  I  know  It 
will  not  have  been  written  in  vain.  It  is  necessary  to 
state,  however,  that  the  earlier  portions  of  this  work 
were  compiled  before  the  recent  political  crisis. 

In  conclusion  I  must  express  my  thanks  to  Sir  George 
Newnes,  Mr.  John  Murray,  Messrs.  Chapman  &  Hall, 
and  Messrs.  Nelson  &  Sons,  for  kindly  permitting  me 
to  quote  a  few  extracts  from  previous  works  of  mine  on 
Russia  and  Siberia  which  these  firms  have,  from  time  to 
time,  published. 

HARRY  DE  WINDT. 

Garrick  Club,  London, 
April  1917. 

1  See  Siberia  as  It  is  and  The  New  Siberia,  by  the  author, 


CONTENTS 

CHAP.  PAGE 

FOREWORD Vii 

I.  PETROGRAD — FIRST   IMPRESSIONS   ....  1 

II.  PETROGRAD — AN   EASTER   DAY           ....  8 

III.  HOLY  MOSCOW 17 

IV.  MODERN   MOSCOW 25 

V.  MY   FRIEND   THE   MOUJIK          .....  35 

VI.  THE   COSSACK — IN   PEACE   AND   WAR         ...  50 

VII.  SPORT,    AMUSEMENTS   AND   FOOD      ....  61 

VIII.  FINLAND — IN   TOWN 68 

IX.  FINLAND — IN   THE   COUNTRY 77 

X.  THE   ARMY      ........  90 

XI.  CIVILIZED   SIBERIA 103 

XII.  DARKER   SIBERIA YAKUTSK  AND   THE   LENA  RIVER  124 

XIII.  FROZEN   ASIA 135 

XIV.  SOME   CURIOUS   CREEDS 144 

XV.  SOME    STRANGE   RACES 154 

XVI.  KIEFF   AND   LITTLE    RUSSIA — AN    EVENING   WITH   A 

NIHILIST 167 

XVII.  THE   CRIMEA — THE   INTERIOR            ....  184 

XVIII.  THE   CRIMEA — THE   COAST 197 

XIX.  THE   CAUCASUS  (1)             .            .            .            .            .            .  211 

XX.  THE   CAUCASUS  (2) 222 


LIST   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

To  face  page 

THE    COSSACK  I    "  STEFAN  " 58 

A   TOWN   ON    THE    LENA   IN    SUMMER-TIME   ....  103 

A   TOWN   ON   THE   LENA   IN    WINTER Ill 

A  "  POST   HOUSE  "  ON  THE    FROZEN  SURFACE   OF  THE   LENA  126 

NEARING     THE     "  DIVIDE  "    BETWEEN     YAKUTSK     AND    VER- 
KHOYANSK   136 

A     POLITICAL      EXILE      AT      SREDNI-KOLYMSK      HOLDING     A 

FROZEN  FISH 142 

TCHUKTCHI  WOMAN  AND  CHILD,  MIDWAY  BETWEEN  KOLYMA 

RIVER  AND  BERING  STRAITS 160 

A  TCHUKTCHI  "WITCH"  NEAR  TCHAUN  BAY  (N.E.  COAST 

OF  SIBERIA) 165 

A  TCHUKTCHI  GIRL  FEEDING  THE  DOGS    .        .        .        .174 

TCHUKTCHI  BOYS  AT  EAST  CAPE  (BERING  STRAITS)   .        .  187 

SPRING-TIME  AT  WHALEN  (ARCTIC  OCEAN)         .        .        .  209 

WALRUS-HIDE    HUT   IN   WHICH    THE    AUTHOR   LIVED   AT 

WHALEN  (EARLY  SPRING-TIME) 220 


RUSSIA    AS   I    KNOW    IT 

CHAPTER   I 

PETROGRAD FIRST    IMPRESSIONS 

I  SHALL  never  forget  the  first  time  I  crossed  the 
German  frontier  into  Russia,  chiefly  because  the  fact  of 
my  so  doing  changed  the  whole  current  of  a  life  which 
had  hitherto  been  devoted  to  anything  but  geographical 
or  penal  research.  This  was  at  Eydtkunen,  one  day  in 
early  autumn,  when  although  the  sun  blazed  from  a 
cloudless  sky,  there  was  a  chilly  nip  in  the  air,  which, 
oddly  enough,  had  been  unnoticeable,  an  hour  before, 
in  Germany.  Also,  on  alighting  from  the  train,  I  became 
aware  of  a  strange  and  subtle  odour  (the  characteristic 
"  Russian  smell  "),  of  which  the  chief  ingredient  is 
apparently  smoked  leather,  and  which,  as  I  have  since 
discovered,  permeates  the  empire  from  the  Baltic  Sea 
to  its  Arctic  confines  at  Yakutsk. 

I  stood,  for  a  while,  on  the  platform,  noting  the  striking 
contrast  between  desolate,  grey-green  plains,  rolling 
northwards  to  the  horizon,  and  the  wooded  hills,  red- 
roofed  villages  and  yellow  cornfields  which  now  lay 
behind  me  to  the  south.  Two  great  empires  are  here 
divided  by  a  narrow,  sluggish  stream,  where  ducks  dis- 
ported themselves,  and  on  the  further  side  of  which  a 
dapper  little  Prussian  sentry  in  "  Pickelhaube "  and 
sky-blue  tunic  aggressively  strutted  to  and  fro;  while, 
on  the  nearer  bank,  a  gigantic  Russian  linesman,  in  long 
drab  overcoat,  leant  on  his  rifle  and  stared  at  him,  much 
as  a  surly  mastiff  might  view  the  antics  of  a  performing 
poodle.  For  there  was  no  love  lost  between  Ivan  and 
Fritz,  even  in  those  days,  and  on  this  lonely  frontier, 
where  mutual  boredom  might  well  have  fostered  tem- 
porary good  fellowship,  although  I  was  assured  that 

B 


2  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

;an-y  thing,  of  this  nature  between  the  confronting  outposts 
was  unknown. 

My  passport  had  been  taken  from  me,  before  leaving 
the  train,  by  a  stalwart  policeman  who  now  approached 
and  politely  invited  me  to  accompany  him  to  the 
"  passport  room  "  in  order  to  obtain  permission  to  enter 
Russia.  I  could  not,  at  that  time,  speak  a  word  of  the 
language,  being  under  the  impression  that  to  master  it 
must  involve  months  of  close  and  constant  study.  But 
this  is  a  fallacy;  for  Russian  is  just  as  easily  acquired 
as  any  other  foreign  tongue  provided  you  merely  wish 
to  express  your  needs,  and  this  any  ordinary  intelligence 
should  be  able  to  accomplish  in  a  couple  of  months.  The 
chief  difficulty  is  to  master  the  letters  and  sounds,  and 
the  rest  is  then  plain  sailing.  To  become  really  pro- 
ficient is,  of  course,  another  matter;  yet  there  is  no 
country  in  Europe  (except  perhaps  France)  where 
people  are  more  anxious  to  assist  you  in  this  respect, 
or  display  more  tolerance  when  you  make  ridiculous 
mistakes. 

I  found  my  fellow-travellers  herded  like  sheep  in  a 
pen,  in  a  spacious  whitewashed  hall,  where  nearly  an 
hour  elapsed  before  documents  were  returned  to  owners 
entitled  to  proceed  on  their  journey.  A  flashily-dressed 
German  Jew  was  alone  detained  for  further  inquiries,  and 
while  this  solitary  victim  was  imploring  the  police  to 
permit  him  to  return  to  Berlin,  double  doors  at  the  end 
of  the  room  were  thrown  open  to  disclose  a  handsomely- 
furnished  dining  apartment  with  snowy  tables  glittering 
with  glass  and  silver,  and  swallow-tailed,  white-tied 
waiters  in  attendance.  I  had  yet  to  learn  that  Russian 
railway  restaurants  are  the  best  in  Europe,  and  this 
sudden  change  from  the  sanded  floors  and  greasy  viands 
of  German  refreshment-rooms,  where  I  had  been  com- 
pelled to  swallow  disgusting  food  in  equally  offensive 
company,  was  only  one  of  many  pleasant  surprises  which 
I  was  afterwards  destined  to  experience,  both  in  European 
and  Asiatic  Russia.  My  lunch  that  day  would  have 
satisfied  an  epicure,  for  it  consisted  of  green  caviar, 
Volga  sterlet,  a  "  rabchik "  (Russian  partridge),  and 
cheese  soufflt  which,  with  a  pint  of  Crimean  claret  and 
coffee  cost  only  four  roubles,  or  about  six  shillings. 


PETROGRAD— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS     3 

Here  also  I  enjoyed,  for  the  first  time,  a  real  Russian 
"  papirosh,"  as  superior  to  the  spurious  ''  Russian 
cigarette  "  generally  sold  in  London  (and  formerly  made 
in  Hamburg),  as  a  delicate  "  Corona "  to  a  cheap 
cigar.1 

The  so-called  "  Express "  which  brought  me  from 
Berlin  had  crawled  with  exasperating  slowness,  but  its 
speed  was  meteoric  compared  to  the  "  Rapide  "  in  which 
I  completed  the  journey  to  Petrograd.  Russian  railways 
are,  however,  the  most  luxurious  (and  also  the  cheapest) 
in  the  world — provided  you  are  not  in  a  hurry.  The 
heat  was  stifling,  for  although  the  Russians  are  pro- 
verbially a  hardy  race,  they  have  a  strong  aversion  to 
fresh  air,  so  the  windows  were  kept  hermetically  sealed, 
while,  at  night-time,  a  double  one  was  raised  to  further 
exclude  draughts.  But  then  even  Siberians  seldom 
venture  out  in  the  height  of  summer  without  an  overcoat ! 

My  first  impressions  of  Petrograd  were  distinctly 
unfavourable,  although  I  arrived,  on  this  occasion, 
during  the  dead  season.  Yet  the  very  name  of  "  Peters- 
burg "  was,  in  those  days,  suggestive  of  an  atmosphere 
of  boundless  wealth  and  luxury,  surrounding  the  most 
brilliant  and  exclusive  Court  in  Europe,  and  I  had 
therefore  pictured  a  city  of  glittering  uniforms,  beautiful 
women,  dashing  equipages  and  priceless  jewels,  where 
the  highest  in  the  land  revelled  in  riotous  pleasures, 
heedless  of  the  silent  and  sinister  workings  of  Nihilism 
and  the  secret  police !  The  place  was  also  usually 
depicted  by  the  English  novelist  (probably  because,  in 
most  cases,  he  had  never  been  there)  as  being  strikingly 
imposing,  and  to  drive  from  the  station  to  my  hotel 
through  dusty,  straggling  thoroughfares  formed  by  low, 
whitewashed  buildings,  was  a  sad  disillusion  !  Yet  had 
I  but  known  it,  this  feeling  of  disappointment  was 
largely  due  to  the  vague  sense  of  depression  which  most 
Englishmen  experience  when  they  enter  Russia  for  the 
first  time.  It  is  also  disquieting,  on  arrival  at  an  hotel, 
to  have  your  passport  taken  away  by  the  police,  who 
inform  you  that,  until  it  is  returned,  you  must  not, 

1  I  have  of  late  years  procured  excellent  and  genuine  Russian 
cigarettes  (imported  from  Moscow)  from  Kincaid  &  Co.,  8,  Norris  Street, 
Haymarket,  S.W. 


4  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

under  any  circumstances,  leave  the  city.  And  this 
applies  to  every  town,  however  small,  throughout  Russia.1 
I  have  never,  since  that  day,  visited  Petrograd  save 
in  winter  time  (when  it  is  much  less  depressing),  for  if 
Russia  owes  her  limitless  wealth  and  prosperity  to  Peter 
the  Great,  she  has  little  cause  to  be  grateful  to  that 
illustrious  monarch  for  his  selection  of  a  swamp  as  a 
suitable  building-site.  Moscow  with  its  "  Kremlin " 
and  exquisite  Byzantine  architecture,  is  a  delightful 
city,  purely  typical  of  the  great  Slav  empire  which  it 
represents,  whereas  Petrograd  2  is  merely  a  bad  imitation 
of  other  European  capitals.  But  its  illustrious  founder 
probably  designed  the  place  less  as  an  imperial  residence 
than  a  commercial  port,  the  establishment  of  which 
entailed  almost  as  great  a  loss  of  human  life  as  the 
erection  of  the  Egyptian  pyramids.3  And,  during  this 
colossal  enterprise,  another  evil  arose,  for  the  Tsar, 
although  an  ardent  patriot,  was  hoodwinked  by  un- 
scrupulous German  adventurers,  who  rapidly  acquired 
a  political  and  commercial  influence  which,  handed  down 
to  their  descendants,  has  only  been  finally  eradicated  by 
the  present  war. 

Petrograd  has  a  population  of  about  two  millions 
and,  with  the  exception  of  Constantinople,  the  highest 
death-rate  of  any  capital  in  Europe.  This  is  partly 
owing  to  the  scarcity  of  pure  water,  wherefore  the  upper 
classes  drink  only  from  imported  mineral  springs, 
although  the  poor  are  compelled  to  fill  their  barrels 
from  the  Neva,  with  occasionally  disastrous  results. 
A  portion  of  the  city  is  built  on  piles,  and  ominous 
cracks  and  fissures  in  some  of  the  public  buildings 
testify  to  the  silting,  unstable  nature  of  the  soil,  while 
the  cemeteries  are  so  frequently  flooded  that  wealthy 
people  are  often  interred  in  southern  Europe,  where 
they  may  rest  in  peace  beyond  the  reach  of  inundations. 

1  Or  did,  under  the  Empire. 

2  Peter  the   Great's  proclivities  are  clearly  shown  by  the  semi- 
German  name  he  originally  bestowed  on  his  capital,  "  Peter's  *  burg.5  " 
The  word  "  grad  n  is  the  old  Russian  name  for  "  town  n  (from  which 
the  more  modern  "  gorod  "  is  derived),  and  Its  adoption  has,  there- 
fore, given  universal  satisfaction  throughout  Russia. 

3  Most  of  the  quarter  of  a  million  workmen  imported  by  the  Tsar 
perished  from  epidemics  and  starvation. 


PETROGRAD— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS     5 

Russians  take  every  precaution  to  ward  off  the  cold, 
but  no  one  seems  to  provide  against  heat,  which  is 
therefore  intolerable  in  summer,  especially  in  conjunction 
with  the  stench  from  the  numberless  canals,  which,  in 
spring-time,  release  tons  of  vegetable  refuse  which  the 
ice,  in  winter,  has  collected  and  congealed.  From 
November  until  May  there  is  rarely  a  blue  sky  and 
bracing  frost,  but  piercing  winds,  chilly  mists  and  a 
leaden  sky  necessitating  electric  light  throughout  the 
day.  Petrograd  is,  in  winter,  as  dark  and  depressing  as 
London,  while  it  has  no  matinees,  concerts  or  other 
amusements  with  which  more  fortunate  dwellers  on  the 
Thames  may  dispel  the  gloom  of  a  foggy  afternoon.  And 
talking  of  winter,  the  Russians  are  just  as  unreasonable 
as  the  English  with  regard  to  climatic  changes  and 
adaptable  habits  and  costume.  In  October  (however 
warm  and  muggy  it  may  be),  they  get  into  furs  which 
are  not  discarded  until  late  in  the  following  spring. 
Their  houses  are  also  heated  on  a  certain  date  for  a 
certain  period,  merely  because  it  is  the  custom,  although 
I  have  occasionally,  even  in  the  month  of  November, 
emerged  from  the  suffocating  heat  of  a  crowded  drawing- 
room  to  walk  home  without  an  overcoat.  And  just  in 
the  same  manner,  it  is  assumed  that  the  season  for 
sledging  lasts  five  months  :  accordingly,  wheeled  vehicles 
are  laid  up  in  October,  and  nothing  but  sledges  are  used, 
whether  the  snow  lies  or  whether  it  melts,  in  which  case 
you  are  jolted  to  death  over  cobbled  streets.  Winter  is, 
however,  the  pleasantest  season  here,  although  a  summer 
night,  with  congenial  companions,  may  be  passed 
agreeably  enough,  beginning  the  evening,  say,  with 
dinner  at  that  world-renowned  restaurant  "  The  Med- 
ved  "  (or  "  Bear  "),  and  afterwards  driving  out  in  open 
"  droshkis,"  to  one  of  the  many  islands  on  the  Neva — 
most  of  which,  however,  are  connected  by  wooden 
bridges  with  the  mainland.  Here  you  may  sup  at  the 
open-air  restaurants  of  "  Samarkand,"  or  "  Villa  Rodet," 
listen  to  really  good  music  performed  by  "  tsiganes," 
and  also  witness  the  ease  with  which  these  wandering 
minstrels  accumulate  riches  at  the  hands  of  the  pleasure- 
loving,  reckless  Russian  "  millionaire,"  or  you  may 
enter  the  "  Variety  "  Theatre,  where  most  of  the  per- 


6  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

formers  are  French,  occasionally  mingled  with  third- 
rate  English,  artists.  Women  in  the  audience  are 
chiefly  of  the  demi-monde  type  (mostly  Parisian),  but 
there  is  generally  a  sprinkling  of  quietly  dressed  ladies 
of  society,  who  are  escorted  here  for  a  glimpse  of  so-called 
gay  life,  much  as  they  are  in  Paris  to  the  cabarets  of 
Montmartre.  Here  you  may  stop  till  early  next  morning 
or  even  later,  if  so  inclined,  and  find  when  you  get  home 
that  (if  not  a  guest)  your  expenses  have  run  into  two 
figures  sterling — or  more — as  champagne,  in  these  places, 
has  to  be  freely  distributed  amongst  importunate  females 
who  would  never  dare  to  accost  you  in  the  street.  And 
I  may  add  that  although  Petrograd  has,  in  this  respect, 
not  always  borne  the  best  reputation,  many  undesirable 
establishments,  which  used  to  exist  in  the  form  of 
assignation  houses  and  the  like  have  now  been  as  severely 
prohibited  as  the  sale  of  alcohol.  But  social  vice,  even 
on  the  islands,  was  never  aggressively  apparent,  although 
one  visit  to  the  latter  was  generally  sufficient.  For 
there  is  no  real  darkness  here  from  June  until  the  end 
of  August,  and  scenes  of  revelry  and  dissipation  which 
may  occasionally  be  amusing  under  the  glare  of  elec- 
tricity become  sordid  and  repellent  in  the  cold  grey  light 
of  day. 

Lack  of  exercise  is  probably  responsible  for  the  pallid 
appearance  of  most  people  of  the  upper  class  who  reside 
here.  No  one  ever  dreams  of  walking  for  health's  sake 
(even  a  servant  sent  on  an  errand  takes  a  "  droshki  "), 
so  that  the  women  have  a  pallid,  washed-out  look,  while 
the  men  (I  allude  to  civilians),  though  generally  tall  and 
sturdily  built,  are  rarely  physically  powerful.  Both 
sexes  spend  most  of  their  time  indoors,  especially  in 
winter-time,  and  consume  tea  and  numberless  cigarettes 
in  stuffy,  overheated  apartments,  the  only  ventilation 
being  from  one  small  aperture  let  into  a  window  pane  and 
rarely  opened.  On  the  other  hand,  the  lower  orders 
look  aggressively  healthy  and  robust,  and  although  few 
of  them  can  afford  to  eat  meat,  they  appear  to  thrive, 
even  in  this  land  of  climatic  severity,  on  a  diet  solely 
composed  of  "shtchi"  (or  cabbage  soup)  and  black 
bread. 

You  see  fewer  pretty  faces  in  Petrograd  than  in  any 


PETROGRAD— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS     7 

other  European  capital,  although  quand  elle  s'y  met, 
the  Russian  woman  of  gentle  birth  is  incomparably 
beautiful.  Nor  do  you  often  meet  a  really  well-dressed 
woman  walking  in  the  streets,  for  even  in  summer  they 
generally  wear  heavy  material  of  some  sombre  shade, 
devoid  of  style  or  smartness,  while  every  third  man 
appears  to  be  in  civil  or  military  uniform,  the  rest 
affecting  broadcloth  or  dark  tweeds  with  a  straw  hat, 
bowler  or  fur  cap,  according  to  the  season.  In  winter, 
every  one  wears  goloshes,  which,  when  entering  a  house, 
are  deposited  in  the  entrance  hall.  But  all  this,  of  course, 
applies  only  to  the  towns,  the  peasants  of  almost  every 
Russian  province  wearing  its  typical  costume,  as  in  the 
cantons  of  Switzerland. 


CHAPTER   II 

PETROGRAD AN    EASTER    DAY 

THE  "  Nevsky  Prospekt  "  is  one  of  three  main  arteries 
which  traverse  Petrograd,  and  contains  its  most  im- 
posing buildings  and  finest  shops,  being  also,  on  a  fine 
day,  a  fashionable  promenade,  like  Bond  Street  or 
Piccadilly.  But  it  is  a  dreary,  colourless  thoroughfare, 
and,  notwithstanding  its  great  length  and  incessant  traffic, 
there  is  a  provincial  air  about  this  endless  avenue  of 
red-brick  and  whitewashed  houses,  some  of  which  have 
green  iron  porticoes,  as  tawdry-looking  as  the  buildings 
of  which  they  form  part.  The  aristocracy  mostly  reside 
in  flats,  and  there  are,  therefore,  but  few  of  the  imposing 
private  mansions  which  in  London  and  Paris  convey  an 
impression  of  dignity  and  wealth.  For  even  the  most 
expensive  flats  here  are  outwardly  mean,  comfortless- 
looking  structures,  occupied  by  both  rich  and  poor,  and 
generally  surrounding  a  cobbled,  untidy  courtyard, 
littered  with  firewood  stacked  for  the  winter.  Each 
group  of  flats  has  its  "  dvornik  "  or  porter,  who  is  as 
inquisitive  and  as  great  a  gossip  as  the  Parisian  concierge. 

The  best  and  poorest  shops  in  the  Nevsky  are  inter- 
mingled with  startling  incongruity,  for  here  you  may  see 
a  jeweller's  windows  blazing  with  diamonds,  and  next 
to  them  a  grimy  little  alcove  for  the  sale  of  old  clothes, 
while  a  few  yards  further  on  a  fishmonger  dispenses  his 
wares  under  the  nose  of  a  fashionable  florist  !  Large 
ironmongery,  drapery,  boot  and  fur  stores  abound,  also 
dainty  sweet  and  cigarette  shops,  but  there  are  no 
furnishing  emporiums  of  the  "  Waring,"  and  "  Maple  " 
class,  London  or  Paris  generally  providing  this  class  of 
goods.  Fortnum  and  Mason,  however,  have  in  Petro- 
grad worthy  rivals,  who  provide  not  only  ordinary 
groceries  and  preserves,  but  also  the  special  Russian 

8 


PETROGRAD-AN  EASTER  DAY        9 

delicacies  known  as  "  zakouski,"  on  which  many  people 
here  seem  to  subsist  to  the  exclusion  of  more  substantial 
food,  fifteen  to  twenty  kinds  being  usually  served  before 
every  meal.  A  few  of  these  shops  have  little  private 
rooms  at  the  back,  open  day  and  night,  where  you  can 
order  champagne  and  the  finest  oysters,  caviar,  or  sterlet 
on  the  market,  for  the  fair  one  of  your  choice.  Kous- 
netzof  and  Romanof  (on  the  Nevsky)  also  provide  a 
daintily  cooked  repast  to  follow,  or  used  to  do  so,  for 
these  customs  may  have  changed  since  the  war. 

Personally,  I  do  not  (as  the  reader  may  have  inferred) 
care  about  Petrograd,  for  it  lacks  the  typical  beauty 
of  Moscow,  the  sylvan  charms  of  Kieff,  and  Parisian 
aspect  of  Odessa.  But  although  I  prefer  the  afore- 
mentioned cities,  the  capital  certainly  possesses  many 
unique  objects  of  interest,  amongst  them  one  of  the 
finest  cathedrals  in  the  world  :  St.  Isaac's.  And,  by 
the  way,  I  passed  on  my  way  thither  (during  a  short 
walk  from  my  hotel),  a  Catholic,  Dutch,  and  Lutheran 
place  of  worship,  besides  a  Jewish  synagogue,  thereby 
realizing  that  the  stories  which  I  had  heard  in  England 
anent  religious  persecution  in  this  country  were  about 
on  a  par  with  the  falsehoods  which,  at  one  time,  were 
freely  disseminated  about  the  inhuman  treatment  of 
Russian  exiles. 

The  glittering  dome  of  St.  Isaac's  is  a  familiar  land- 
mark visible  for  many  miles,  and  its  golden  cross  (thirty- 
three  feet  higher  than  that  of  St.  Paul's)  surmounts  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  and  costly  churches  in  the  world, 
the  foundations  of  which  alone  cost  £200,000  !  Enor- 
mous sums  were  contributed  towards  its  erection  by 
Catherine  of  Russia,  and  donations  have  poured  in  ever 
since  from  all  classes  of  people,  from  the  reigning  Tsar 
to  the  humblest  "  moujik."  St.  Isaac's,  therefore,  now 
possesses  a  prodigious  amount  of  treasure,  of  which  the 
gold  and  silver  articles  alone  weigh  over  two  tons, 
while  its  jewelled  "  ikons  "  and  sacred  vessels,  old  and 
modern  paintings,  and  marvellous  mosaics  must  be  worth 
many  millions  of  roubles. 

I  first  went  there  on  an  Easter  Sunday  when  the 
building  was  crowded  with  worshippers,  for  this  is,  in 
Russia,  the  principal  festival  of  the  year.  And  having 


10  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

just  left  a  bright,  sunlit  street  I  stood,  for  a  moment, 
half  dazed  by  the  gloom  of  that  vast,  domed  structure 
faintly  illumined  by  flickering  tapers,  as  I  listened,  spell- 
bound, to  the  chanting  of  a  wondrously  trained  choir. 
Never,  even  at  St.  Peter's  in  Rome,  have  I  listened  to 
such  exquisite  sacred  music,  and  although  there  was  no 
organ  (it  is  forbidden  in  the  Greek  Church),  the  extra- 
ordinary depth  and  volume  of  bass  voices  amply  atoned 
for  any  lack  of  instrumental  accompaniment.  Some  of 
the  Gregorian  hymns  I  heard  that  day  were  many 
centuries  old,1  and  I  was  destined,  in  after  years,  to  hear 
those  plaintive  melodies  sung  by  unhappy  beings  with 
even  more  sadness  and  pathos  than  by  the  choristers  of 
St.  Isaac's — in  the  prisons  of  Siberia. 

A  sudden  air  of  life  and  gaiety  pervades  Petrograd 
on  Easter  Day,  when  the  long  Lenten  fast  comes  to  an 
end,  for  the  greeting  "  Cristos  Voskress  "  2  has  a  more 
significant  meaning  here  than  among  less  devout  nations 
who  do  not  practise  the  same  amount  of  religious  self- 
denial.  Easter  eggs  are  purchased  all  over  the  city,  from 
those  taken  from  the  hen-roost  and  stained  in  bright 
colours,  to  others,  delicately  wrought  in  gold  and  set 
with  jewels,  in  the  jewellers'  shops  of  the  Nevsky. 

On  this  occasion  the  streets  were  packed  with  dense 
crowds,  every  restaurant  was  crowded,  and  I  passed  an 
enjoyable  day  with  a  party  of  Russians  than  whom  there 
are  no  more  hospitable  and  charming  people  in  the 
world.  Lunch  at  the  "  Medved  "  was  followed  by  a 
drive  out  to  the  islands  in  "  droshkis,"  a  diminutive 
victoria  to  seat  two  persons,  and  so  narrow  that  the 
latter  hold  on  to  each  other ;  an  act  of  apparent  famil- 
iarity which  occasionally  startles  a  stranger,  especially 
when  the  occupants  are  of  opposite  sex.  I  remember, 
one  summer  evening,  dining  with  an  officer  in  the 
"  Chevaliers  Gardes,"  when  an  English  friend  of  mine 
and  his  wife,  who  had  just  arrived  from  London,  were 
the  only  other  guests.  Our  bachelor  host  was  rather 
notorious  as  a  "  Don  Juan,"  and  his  marked  attentions 
to  the  lady  throughout  the  meal  were  greatly  resented 
by  her  husband,  who  was  of  a  jealous  disposition.  After 

1  Some  are  said  to  date  from  the  fourth  century. 

2  "  Christ  is  risen  !  " 


PETROGRAD— AN  EASTER  DAY      11 

dinner  a  drive  was  suggested,  and  we  set  out  in  two 
"  droshkis,"  the  Russian  and  the  lady  leading  the  way, 
but  when,  having  taken  his  seat,  my  military  friend 
calmly  encircled  his  fair  companion's  waist,  her  husband 
fairly  exploded  with  amazement  and  wrath.  "  Why, 

d n  the  fellow's  impudence  !  "  he  cried;  "he's  got 

his  arm  round  her  now  !  "  And  it  took  me  all  my  time 
to  explain  that  this  was  only  an  ordinary  Russian 
custom.  But  my  friend  was,  I  think,  the  most  insular 
Briton  I  ever  came  across,  who,  upon  another  occasion, 
in  midwinter,  insisted  upon  wearing  a  tall  silk  hat  on  the 
Nevsky,  although  no  one  ever  dreams  of  doing  so  at 
that  season  of  the  year,  and  very  rarely  at  any  other  ! 

But  to  return  to  Easter  Day,  during  which,  by  the 
way,  our  afternoon  excursion  was  nearly  brought  to  a 
tragic  termination  by  an  "  isvostchik,"  who,  having 
partaken  too  freely  of  "  vodka,"  collided  with  another 
"  droshki "  and  deposited  the  writer  and  another  pas- 
senger— fortunately  without  injury — in  the  middle  of 
the  road.  These  "  cabmen  of  the  North  "  are  a  strange 
race,  many  of  whom  in  summer  work  in  the  fields 
and  only  become  "  isvostchiks  "  in  winter-time.  Their 
costume  is  the  same  in  every  town  throughout  the 
empire  :  a  low-crowned  cloth  or  beaver  hat  and  loose, 
dark  coat,  which  reaching  nearly  to  the  feet,  is  gathered, 
at  the  waist,  into  a  voluminous  pleated  petticoat.  The 
dress  worn  by  private  coachmen  is  similar,  but,  in  their 
case,  the  head-dress  and  clothing  are  of  finer  material, 
trimmed  with  fur,  and  in  some  cases  richly  embroidered 
with  gold  lace.  Private  "  isvostchiks  "  are  generally  of 
huge  proportions,  for  a  fat  coachman  is  regarded  as  a 
sign  of  wealth  and  prosperity,  while  he  is  also  preferably 
selected  of  enormous  girth  to  act  as  a  wind-screen. 

The  "  isvostchik "  is  a  bearded,  jovial  fellow,  but 
nevertheless  is  full  of  guile  and  should  never  receive 
more  than  a  third  of  the  sum  he  claims  as  legal  fare,  a 
reduction  which,  to  do  him  justice,  he  generally  accepts 
with  cheerful  resignation.  These  men  always  drive  at 
a  furious  rate  (they  are  the  only  people  in  Russia  who 
ever  appear  to  be  in  a  hurry  !),  but  their  kindness  to 
animals  is  proverbial.  I  have  driven  thousands  of  miles 
in  "  droshki,"  "  tarantass,"  and  sleigh,  and  have  never 


12  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

once  seen  a  driver  touch  his  horses  with  a  whip,  merely 
using  the  voice  and  reins,  to  which  animals  here  seem  to 
respond  quicker  than  to  the  lash  in  other  countries. 

We  also  went,  that  afternoon,  to  one  of  the  many 
public  gardens  around  Petrograd,  most  of  which,  even 
in  summer,  are  desolate-looking  places  hardly  worthy  of 
the  name.  In  this  instance,  the  dull  frame-windows  of 
a  weather-bleached,  wooden  "  restaurant  "  seemed  to 
stare  reproachfully  at  a  vista  of  trampled  lawns,  weedy 
pathways,  and  beds  of  scentless  flowers,  while  both  trees 
and  shrubs  displayed  the  absence  of  verdure  with  which 
nearly  every  so-called  "  Garden  "  in  northern  Russia 
seems  to  be  stricken.  But  there  were  crowds  of  holiday- 
makers  (especially  young  officers  and  the  Petrograd 
type  of  midinette),  plenty  of  music,  and  refreshments 
galore,  and  although  barely  two  hours  had  elapsed  since 
lunch,  my  host  now  insisted  on  ordering  "  zakouski," 
cakes,  and  sweetmeats  which  were  served  in  the  verandah 
around  a  hissing  "  samovar."  Some  people  are  under 
the  impression  that  the  latter  has  cryptic  powers  of 
producing  super-excellent  tea,  whereas  it  is  merely  a 
gigantic  kettle,  of  complicated  shape,  filled  with  hot 
water,  which  is  kept  at  boiling  point  by  a  metal  tube 
running  down  the  centre,  and  filled  with  live  charcoal. 
The  ordinary  "  samovar  "  (a  Tartar  invention)  is  made 
of  brass  or  copper,  but  I  have  occasionally  seen  some 
exquisitely  chased  and  engraved,  and  made  of  silver — or 
even  gold. 

The  fashionable  world  in  Petrograd  dines  early,  seven 
o'clock  being  the  usual  hour,  but  this  evening  I  returned 
to  my  friend's  house  for  another  elaborate  meal  which 
was  served  even  earlier,  and  left  me  wondering  how  any 
human  frame  could  possibly  assimilate  such  an  abund- 
ance of  food  in  such  a  limited  space  of  time  !  We  then 
adjourned  to  the  opera  to  hear  Glinka's  La  Vie  pour  le 
Tsar,  the  work  of  one  of  Russia's  greatest  composers, 
and  it  has  always  struck  me  as  strange  that  although 
Tchaikovsky,  Moskovsky,  and  others  of  their  class,  are 
deservedly  popular  in  England,  yet  Glinka  (whom  some 
Russians  deem  superior  to  them  all)  is  seldom  heard  of. 

The  Opera  House  here  is  as  large  as  Covent  Garden, 
but  it  is  a  barn-like  place,  and  the  audience  seemed  to 


PETROGRAD— AN  EASTER  DAY      13 

lack  distinction,  for  evening  dress  was  only  compulsory 
on  "gala"  nights,  when  the  performance  was  attended 
by  the  Tsar  and  Tsaritza  and  a  gorgeously-apparelled 
Court.  The  scene  was  then  one  of  unrivalled  splendour, 
in  which  priceless  jewels,  dazzling  uniforms,  and  costly 
flowers  were  confusedly  blended,  although  the  unattrac- 
tive appearance  of  the  "  proscenium"  rather  marred  the 
effect  of  an  otherwise  brilliant  spectacle.  It  seemed 
strange  that  a  State  which  annually  lavished  millions  of 
roubles  on  the  finest  operatic  artists,  should  not  have 
expended  a  comparatively  unimportant  sum  to  provide 
them  with  a  more  suitable  setting. 

The  Russian  ballet  is,  of  course,  the  finest  in  Europe, 
as  all  those  must  be  aware  who,  in  England,  have 
witnessed  the  inimitable  grace  of  Pavlova  and  Kyasht. 
Catherine  of  Russia  was  the  first  to  introduce  pro- 
fessional dancing  from  France  and  Italy,  since  which 
period  all  the  principals  engaged  in  these  performances 
receive  a  fixed  salary  from  the  Government,  and,  at  the 
end  of  fifteen  years,  a  substantial  pension.  But  every 
first-class  theatre  in  Petrograd  is  subsidized  by  the 
State,  and  English  plays,  translated  into  Russian,  are 
very  popular;  their  repertoire  ranging  from  Romeo 
and  Juliet  to  Charley's  Aunt !  Shakespeare  is  also 
idolized,  and  it  is  said  that  the  Empress  Catherine 
was  so  inspired  by  his  works  that  she  once  essayed  to 
write  a  tragedy,  on  the  literary  merits  of  which,  however, 
historians  are  ominously  silent. 

The  opera  was  over  early,  and  having  thanked  my 
host  for  his  kindness  and  hospitality,  I  was  about  to 
return  to  my  hotel,  which,  however,  Madame  would  not 
hear  of,  urging  as  an  additional  inducement,  that  supper 
was  awaiting  us  at  their  house.  So  we  sat  down  to  yet 
another  meal  of  several  courses,  which  was  gaily  and 
indefinitely  prolonged,  for  wit  and  champagne  flowed 
freely.  Only  country  people  retire  here  at  anything  like 
a  normal  hour ;  and  two  or  three  a.m.  (in  the  towns)  is 
regarded  as  rather  early  for  bed  than  otherwise  !  And 
the  supper  was  as  enjoyable  as  such  gatherings  generally 
are  in  Russia,  where  the  men  are  always  friendly  towards 
an  Englishman,  and  the  women,  as  a  rule,  amusing  and 
well  read.  London  and  its  doings  were  the  chief  topic 


14  RUSSIA  AS  I   KNOW  IT 

of  conversation,  for  of  recent  years  interest  in  Paris  has 
somewhat  declined  in  favour  of  the  former,  probably  by 
reason  of  the  friendly  relations  which,  even  before  the 
war,  existed  between  the  two  nations  and  which  have 
since  been  cemented  into  a  staunch  and,  let  us  hope, 
permanent  alliance. 

Supper  was  followed  by  music  and  cards,  and  while 
I  was  being  initiated  into  the  mysteries  of  "  vindt,"  or 
Russian  whist,  Madame  and  her  friends  retired,  leaving 
the  men  to  their  game.  At  its  conclusion  my  inde- 
fatigable host  suggested  a  last "  snack  "  of  sandwiches  and 
pale  ale,  but  I,  this  time,  firmly  resisted  all  remonstrances, 
and  finally  took  my  leave,  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning ! 
So  ended  my  first  experience  of  a  Russian  Easter  Day ! 

The  palaces  in  and  around  Petrograd  are  worth  seeing, 
although  only  a  few  could  formerly  be  visited  without  a 
special  order.  It  was  once  my  privilege  to  be  received 
at  Gatchina  on  an  occasion  when  the  Ex-Tsar  (then 
Tsarevitch)  was  graciously  pleased  to  accept  one  of  my 
works  on  the  Russian  penal  system;  but  with  the 
exception  of  the  Anitchkoff  within  the  city,  and  Pavlosk 
on  its  outskirts  (where  I  visited  General  Kireef — a 
brother  of  the  famous  "  O.  K.,"  x),  I  have  entered  no 
other  imperial  residence.  The  Winter  Palace,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Neva,  is  perhaps  the  most  interesting,  not 
only  by  reason  of  its  imposing  exterior,  but  also  the  air 
of  silence  and  mystery  with  which  it  is  (or  used  to  be) 
eternally  enveloped.  For  the  "  Little  Father  "  was  here 
as  well  and  secretly  guarded  as  the  Grand  Lama  of 
Thibet,  and  thousands  of  troops  were  employed  for  this 
purpose.  I  remember  standing,  one  winter's  night,  in 
the  square  in  front  of  the  palace,  and  watching  squadron 
after  squadron  of  mounted  Cossacks  defile,  like  moonlit 
spectres,  around  the  great  building,  the  tramp  of  their 
horses  muffled  by  deep  snow — for  this  was  one  of  the 
precautions  then  taken  every  night,  from  sunset  until 
dawn,  and  throughout  the  year.  And  this  ghostly 
patrol  was  typical  of  the  powerful  but  secret  machinery 
which  was  formerly  kept  perpetually  in  motion  to  ensure 
the  personal  safety  of  the  sovereign.  The  Winter  Palace 
has  only  of  late  years  been  used  for  important  Govern- 
1  Madame  Olga  Novikoff. 


PETROGRAD— AN  EASTER  DAY      15 

ment  functions,  levees  and  Court  balls.  There  were  three 
of  the  latter  during  the  winter  season;  one  attended 
by  about  3000  guests,  and  one  to  which  only  about  a 
third  of  that  number  were  invited.  The  third  was 
limited  to  the  most  exalted  members  of  the  aristoc- 
racy, officials  of  the  highest  rank,  and  representatives 
of  the  Powers,  and  took  place  at  the  "Hermitage,'* 
a  continuation  of  the  Winter  Palace.  Fabulous  sums 
were  expended  by  the  State  upon  this  ultra-exclusive 
entertainment,  which,  from  all  accounts,  was  so  artistic- 
ally conceived  and  lavishly  organized  that  it  resembled 
a  scene  from  fairyland. 

The  Tsar  drove  out  in  public  less  than  any  other 
European  sovereign,  and,  when  in  the  streets  of  Petro- 
grad,  I  never  saw  the  Empress,  who,  by  the  way,  was 
generally  called  the  "  Tsarina "  in  other  countries, 
although  such  a  title  did  not  exist  !  "  Tsaritza " 
is  the  nearest  approach  to  it,  but  Russians  always 
alluded  to  their  Majesties  as  the  "  Emperor "  and 
"  Empress  "  when  speaking  to  a  foreigner,  and  as  the 
"  Gosudar  "  and  "  Gosudarinya  "  amongst  themselves, 
the  Tsar,  at  Court,  being  invariably  styled  "  Imperator." 
"  Tsarevitch  "  was  another  title  which  was  rarely  heard 
in  Russia,  "Naslyednik"  or  "  the  heir  "  being  generally 
used. 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  the  famous  "  Hermi- 
tage "  with  its  valuable  paintings  by  Vandyck,  Rubens, 
and  other  great  masters,  exquisite  art-treasures,  and 
perhaps  richest  museum  in  Europe;  nor  the  Imperial 
Treasury  and  its  crown  jewels,  the  Admiralty,  or  "  Corps 
des  Mines,"  in  which  latter  one  can  faintly  realize  the 
inexhaustible  mineral  resources  of  this  great  empire,  for 
details  of  these  may  be  found  in  any  guide-book.  I  may 
mention,  however,  one  object  which  attracted  my 
attention  :  the  colossal  bronze  statue  of  Peter  the  Great, 
and  especially  its  pedestal,  an  enormous  block  of  granite 
which,  weighing  over  15,000  tons,  was  dragged  from  the 
marsh  where  it  was  unearthed,  five  miles  away,  by 
primitive  machinery  and  80,000  horses. 

Every  Russian  town  has  its  public  market,  which  is 
extremely  convenient,  for  a  stranger  has  no  occasion  to 
inquire:  "Where  is  this  or  that  to  be  bought?"  or 


16  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

wander  through  a  town  in  quest  of  a  particular  object 
when  he  is  perfectly  sure  of  finding  it  in  the  "  Gostinnoi 
Dvor."  The  latter  at  Petrograd  stands  just  off  the 
Nevsky,  and  occupies  many  acres  of  ground.  The 
outer  buildings  are  two-storied  and  enclose  a  maze  of 
streets,  courts  and  alleys — resembling  a  huge  human 
bee-hive — in  which,  as  in  the  bazaars  of  the  East,  every 
quarter  has  a  special  article  for  sale.  Here  you  may 
stroll  for  days  through  endless  avenues  of  stores  con- 
taining every  imaginable  class  of  goods  from  diamond 
tiaras  to  a  coil  of  rope,  and  purchase  almost  anything  in 
creation.  Bargain-hunters  will  be  most  attracted  to- 
wards the  quarter  where  wonderful  old  "  ikons,"  antique 
gold  and  silver,  and  modern  second-hand  jewellery  are 
sold.  It  was  once  my  good  fortune  to  secure  from  the 
latter  a  tiny  gold  watch,  of  exquisite  workmanship,  and 
set  with  brilliants,  for  about  one-fifth  of  the  price  it 
would  have  cost  near  by  in  the  Nevsky  Prospekt,  whence, 
I  believe,  it  originally  came  ! 

Every  precaution  is  taken,  in  the  Petrograd  Market, 
against  fire,  the  whole  place  being  exclusively  built  of 
brick  and  iron,  for  precisely  at  sunset  all  business  ceases 
for  the  night.  Every  shop  is  then  shuttered  and  barred, 
and  its  owner  returns  home,  while  watchmen  and  their 
dogs  keep  guard  over  his  property  until  his  return  early 
on  the  following  morning. 


CHAPTER  III 

HOLY   MOSCOW 

Moscow  is  about  as  far  from  Petrograd  as  London 
from  Dundee,  and  you  generally  travel  by  the  night 
mail,  which  is  immaterial  so  far  as  passing  objects  of 
interest  are  concerned.  For  the  tortuous  line  originally 
designed  to  accommodate  commercial  and  social  centres 
was  ruthlessly  condemned  by  Nicholas  L,  who,  with 
the  sole  object  of  shortening  the  journey  for  his  own 
convenience,  called  for  the  plans,  and  with  pencil  and 
ruler  drew  a  straight  line  between  the  two  cities.  The 
stations  are  therefore  often  a  considerable  distance 
from  the  adjoining  town,  to  the  serious  inconvenience 
of  its  inhabitants. 

The  ancient  Muscovite  city  covers  an  enormous  extent 
of  ground — less  by  reason  of  its  population  (about  one  and 
a  half  millions)  than  owing  to  the  fact  that  its  squares, 
streets,  parks  and  gardens  are  on  such  a  vast  scale,  while 
the  town  stretches  over  a  series  of  undulating  hills,  which 
render  it  a  pleasing  contrast  to  flat,  monotonous  Petro- 
grad. My  first  impressions  of  the  place  were  rather 
vague,  for  it  would  need  at  least  a  month  to  fully 
appreciate  the  features  of  historical  and  artistic  interest 
which,  at  every  turn,  confront  a  stranger.  There  is,  at 
first,  a  sense  of  incongruity,  for  modern  thoroughfares 
and  handsome  buildings  are  promiscuously  mingled 
with  wooden  shanties  and  mean-looking  alleys,  while 
portions  of  the  city  present  more  the  appearance  of  a 
provincial  town,  or  even  village,  than  that  of  a  great 
national  centre.  Only  the  principal  streets  are  asphalted, 
others  are  of  cobbles,  with  plank  side-walks;  some  not 
paved  at  all,  for  even  Moscow  presents  in  places  the 
untidy,  unfinished  appearance  of  all  other  Russian 
towns,  with  the  exception  of  Odessa.  Yet  nowhere  else 
c  17 


18  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

in  the  world  will  you  find  such  a  bewildering  array  of 
constructive  beauty  as  in  the  Kremlin,1  with  its  cluster 
of  beautiful  churches,  some  with  golden  domes,  others 
with  towers  and  cupolas  of  every  imaginable  hue,  from 
maize  or  apple-green  to  the  darkest  shades  of  purple, 
which  somehow  always  harmonize  with  the  bright  or 
sombre  red-brick  walls  beneath  them.  This  gorgeous 
carnival  of  colour  might,  elsewhere,  seem  tawdry  and 
discordant,  but  in  this  atmosphere  of  barbaric  associa- 
tions it  is  always  in  keeping  with  the  picture. 

"  Moskva-Matushka  "  (or  "Little  Mother  Moscow") 
is  not,  as  many  people  imagine,  a  very  ancient  city, 
for,  with  the  exception  of  the  "  Kremlin "  and  its 
churches,  it  does  not  contain  a  single  edifice  over  three 
hundred  years  old,  having  been  for  centuries  entirely 
constructed  of  wood,2  and  therefore  constantly  been 
burnt  down.  The  first  settlement  was  founded  as  far 
back  as  1147,  since  which  period  this  has  been  the 
scene  of  the  most  tragic  events  in  Russian  history,  from 
wholesale  massacres,  in  the  dark  ages,  by  Tartar  hordes, 
to  the  assassination,  only  a  few  years  ago,  of  the  Grand 
Duke  Serge.  No  city  in  creation  was  ever  afflicted  by 
such  an  appalling  series  of  sieges,  plagues,  and  con- 
flagrations, or,  on  the  other  hand,  ever  rejoiced  in  a 
more  joyful  and  decisive  victory  than  when  Napoleon's 
legions  were  decisively  routed  by  those  overwhelming 
forces,  fire  and  cold. 

The  River  Moskva  is  about  the  same  width  as  the 
Seine,  without  the  latter' s  picturesque  quays,  although 
a  stone  embankment  has  now  been  built  along  the 
stream,  which  used,  in  olden  days,  to  reach  the  walls 
of  the  Kremlin.  The  latter  has  five  entrances,  through 
massive  square  towers,  and  near  one  of  these,  the 
"  Nicholas  Gate,"  is  a  cross  commemorating  the  assas- 
sination of  the  Grand  Duke,  while  over  another  (the 
"  Spaski,"  or  "  Gate  of  the  Redeemer  ")  is  a  gold  ikon 
representing  the  Saviour  of  Smolensk,3  an  object  of 
such  veneration  that  all  passers-by  are  compelled  by 
an  armed  sentry  to  uncover.  There  is  a  legend  that 

1  Derived  from  the  Tartar  word,  "  kreml,"  a  fortress. 

2  Wooden  buildings  are  now  prohibited. 

3  Pronounced  "  Smaleeonsk."- 


HOLY  MOSCOW  19 

Napoleon,  when  riding  through  its  portals,  haughtily 
refused  to  remove  his  cocked  hat,  but  that,  by  divine 
intervention,  a  gust  of  wind  blew  it  off !  Near  this  spot 
are  numberless  rows  of  cannon  captured  from  the  French 
during  their  famous  retreat,  the  former  being  embossed 
with  the  imperial  crown,  and  bearing  names  like  ships, 
such  as  "  Immortalite "  and  "  Sans  Peur,"  on  their 
breaches. 

The  Kremlin  is  not  only  a  citadel,  for  its  walls,  which 
are  over  two  miles  in  circumference,  also  enclose  a 
palace,  cathedrals  and  monasteries,  streets  and  squares. 
It  is  therefore  practically  a  town  within  a  city,  from 
which  former  rises,  in  solitary  grandeur,  the  Tower  of 
Ivan  Veliki,  which  contains  the  largest  (suspended)  bell 
in  the  world,1  while,  in  the  square  beneath  it,  mounted 
on  a  granite  pedestal,  is  the  broken  "  Tsar-Kolokol," 
in  which  a  score  of  people  could  dine  with  ease.  This 
"  king  of  bells  "  (cast  in  the  reign  of  the  Empress  Anne) 
weighs  nearly  two  hundred  tons,  which  was  the  primary 
cause  of  its  downfall  and  destruction,  although  it  always 
had  a  dull,  unmusical  tone,  imparted  by  jewels  recklessly 
cast  by  the  reigning  Tsaritza  and  her  ladies  of  the  Court 
into  the  melting-pot. 

Russian  bells  are  the  finest  in  the  world  (from  the 
one  just  described  to  the  jangling  grelots  which 
have  often  lightened  my  Siberian  journeys),  and  in 
Moscow  there  must  be  many  thousands  of  all  sorts  and 
sizes,  with  tones  varying  from  the  deep  bass  of  some 
metal  monster  to  shrill  and  silvery  chimes.  And  night 
or  day  they  are  never  silent,  for  you  may  wake  at  four 
in  the  morning  and  hear  them  tolling  for  some  monastic 
service  or  the  repose  of  a  soul,  while  when  all  are  simul- 
taneously set  in  motion  on  Easter  Morn  the  clamour, 
in  conjunction  with  salvoes  of  artillery,  is  almost  in- 
tolerable. Tchaikovsky  is  said  to  have  conceived  his 
famous  symphony  "  1812  "  on  a  similar  occasion. 

The  historical  and  artistic  treasures  stored  within 
the  Kremlin  are  probably  worth  millions  sterling,  for 
the  Palace  alone  contains  a  throne  of  solid  gold  set 
with  two  thousand  precious  stones,  and  the  diamond 
crown  of  the  Empress  Anna  Ivanovna,  surmounted  by 
1  It  weighs  sixty  tons. 


20  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW  IT 

a  ruby  worth  sixty  thousand  roubles.  One  may  wander 
here  for  days  through  dimly  lit  churches,  with  altars  of 
silver,  pillars  and  pavements  of  agate  and  malachite, 
priceless  vestments  and  tapestries,  rotting  with  age, 
and  exquisitely  painted  ikons,  so  encrusted  with  gems 
that  the  image  itself  is  often  concealed.  The  Cathedral 
of  the  Assumption  is.  if  not  the  most  beautiful,  perhaps 
the  most  interesting  building  here,  for  its  relics  include 
one  of  the  nails  used  at  the  Crucifixion,  a  portion  of 
the  garment  then  worn  by  our  Saviour,  and  a  painting 
of  the  Holy  Virgin,  with  jewels  attached  to  it  worth 
thirty  million  roubles.  Here  you  stand  in  the  very 
heart  of  Holy  Russia,  for  in  this  sacred  edifice  all  her 
Tsars  are  crowned,  which  reminds  me  that  the  last 
coronation  has,  for  the  writer,  pathetic  memories  by 
reason  of  its  association  with  an  unhappy  woman  who, 
shortly  after  the  ceremony,  was  banished  for  life  to 
Arctic  Siberia.  She  was  exiled  to  a  place  l  which,  when 
I  reached  it,  had  only  once  been  visited,  during  the 
past  thirty  years,  by  beings  from  the  civilized  world, 
save  those  who  had  been  sent  there  "  by  administrative 
process."  The  former  were  two  sailors,  whose  ship 
(the  Arctic  exploring  vessel  Rodgers)  was  burnt  in  the 
Bering  Straits,  and  who  eventually  contrived  to  reach 
this  ghastly  haven,  after  enduring,  for  over  two  months, 
unspeakable  privations  and  suffering.  And  it  was  only 
after  four  months  of  incessant  travel  from  Moscow, 
chiefly  in  horse  and  reindeer  sleds,  that  I  contrived  to 
find  this  abiding-place  of  fourteen  miserable  captives, 
one  of  whom  was  The'isa  Akimova,  who  had  attempted 
to  assassinate  Nicholas  II.  during  his  coronation  in 
Moscow.  Akimova  was  well-born  and  still  young  in 
years,  spoke  several  languages  fluently,  and  had  taken 
high  honours  at  the  Paris  "  Conservatoire  of  Music." 
And  I  learnt,  from  this  wretched  exile's  own  lips,  how 
her  plans  had  been  thwarted  only  just  in  time  by  the 
secret  police,  and  how  she  had  nearly  succeeded  in 
killing  the  now  Ex-Emperor  by  means  of  a  bomb  which, 
had  it  exploded,  must  also  have  caused  serious  loss  of 

1  It  is  marked  as  "  Sredni-Kolymsk  "  on  the  map,  but  merely  con- 
sists of  a  few  log-huts.  A  detailed  account  of  the  place  appears  in 
From  Paris  to  New  York  by  Land,  by  the  author. 


HOLY  MOSCOW  21 

life  in  that  crowded  assembly.  For  this  Thei'sa  was 
condemned  to  death,  the  sentence  being  commuted  to 
imprisonment  for  life  in  the  God-forsaken  settlement 
where  she  has  probably,  by  this  time,  ceased  to  exist. 
This  was  the  only  information  I  could  glean,  on  that 
occasion,  regarding  the  affair,  but  a  year  or  two  ago  I 
chanced  to  read  the  following  account  of  the  outrage 
in  a  work  written  by  a  friend,  which,  although  details 
of  the  crime  were  carefully  concealed  at  the  time,  describes 
how  he  probably  witnessed  the  unhappy  girl's  arrest.1 

"  I  met  Harry  de  Windt  "  (he  writes)  "  on  his  return 
from  his  terrible  journey  overland  from  Paris  to  New 
York,  a  journey  that  took  him  into  that  fierce  district 
in  Arctic  Siberia  when  the  temperature  was  fifty-one 
degrees  below  zero  and  occasionally  fell  to  eighty.  It 
was  somewhere  up  in  these  latitudes  that  he  came 
across  a  little  unknown  settlement  of  political  prisoners. 
One  was  a  woman  who  had  attempted  to  assassinate 
the  Tsar,  Nicholas  II.,  on  his  coronation.  A  thrill  went 
through  me  as  he  told  me  how  she  had  a  bomb  con- 
cealed in  a  glass  receptacle  in  the  form  of  a  prayer  book, 
for  did  her  seizure  account  for  an  incident  which  sent 
our  hearts  into  our  throats  whilst  we,  at  the  coronation 
of  Moscow,  were  waiting  for  the  Tsar  to  come  out  of 
the  Cathedral  of  the  Assumption  and  cross  the  Square 
to  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Michael  ? 

"  He  did  not  come,  and  suddenly  in  the  vast  crowd 
there  was  a  thud  and  a  moving  struggle.  The  dust 
went  up,  and  then  all  was  quiet.  Still  the  Tsar  did 
not  come,  but  when  he  did  come,  it  was  not  from  the 
appointed  door,  but  from  an  unexpected  opening  be- 
tween the  Tribunes;  and  when  he  stepped  out  from 
beneath  the  canopy  near  where  I  was  placed  he  looked 
deadly  blue-white.  It  was  at  that  moment  that  I  was 
able  to  take  a  photograph  of  the  scene,  afterwards 
enlarged  by  Russell  our  Court  photographer  for  His 
Majesty  and  the  Grand  Dukes.  Was  this  thud  and 
scuffle,  about  which  we  never  heard  a  word,  the  seizure 
of  this  woman  who  told  her  story  to  my  friend  de  Windt 
in  the  icy  North?  " 

1  See  Reminiscences  and  Gossip  of  Men  and  Matters,  by  James 
Baker  (Chapman  &  Hall,  London). 


22  RUSSIA  AS  I  KNOW  IT 

Nor  was  this  the  only  tragedy  on  that  eventful 
day,  for,  during  the  would-be  regicide's  arrest,  several 
thousand  men  and  women  were  being  crushed  to  death 
on  a  plain  outside  the  city  while  wildly  surging  forward 
to  secure  the  enamelled  tea-mugs  1  which  were  presented 
by  the  Tsar  to  his  poorer  subjects  as  souvenirs  of  the 
ceremony. 

Most  of  the  churches  in  the  Kremlin  were  built  by 
famous  Italian  architects,  but  the  Florentine  and 
Venetian  schools  of  art  are  occasionally  quaintly  blended 
with  Byzantine  work.  Every  church  is  surmounted, 
not  by  one,  but  a  number  of  domes,  of  various  sizes, 
connected  with  the  walls  beneath  them  by  dangling 
golden  chains,  which  appear  to  be  restraining  the 
balloon-like  spheres  from  soaring  into  space.  The 
Cathedral  of  St.  Michael  is  a  contrast  to  the  floridly 
decorated  Assumption,  having  a  more  sombre  aspect  in 
keeping  with  the  fact  that  it  contains  the  remains  of 
the  Tsars  who  reigned  from  the  fourteenth  to  the 
seventeenth  century.  These  illustrious  dead  are  laid 
to  rest  in  coffins  draped  with  purple  velvet,  and  one 
contained  the  corpse  of  little  Prince  Dmitri  (murdered 
by  order  of  the  Tsar  Boris),  whose  embalmed  features 
were  exposed,  through  a  sheet  of  plate  glass,  to  the 
public  gaze.  Near  the  bier  was  a  side  chapel,  brightly 
illumined  by  wax  tapers,  where  a  Mass  was  being  said, 
and  that  solitary  patch  of  light  vividly  contrasted  with 
the  surrounding  gloom  and  stillness. 

"  St.  Basil  the  Blest,"  which  was  erected  in  the 
sixteenth  century  by  order  of  "  Ivan  the  Terrible,"  is 
certainly  the  most  curious  building  here,  being  less 
suggestive  of  human  construction  than  of  some  archi- 
tectural freak  in  a  nightmare.  For  there  is  no  attempt 
at  either  form  or  symmetry  about  the  exterior,  which 
is  composed  of  crudely  coloured  or  whitewashed  walls 
supporting  a  cluster  of  domes,  cupolas  and  spires  of 
the  most  grotesque  shapes,  some  inlaid  with  glazed 
tiles  of  great  age  and  such  brilliant  hue  that  they 
resemble  chips  of  coloured  glass  in  a  kaleidoscope. 
The  great  Napoleon  must  have  had  peculiar  notions  of 
art,  for  he  greatly  admired  this  atrocity  (which  did 
1  One  is  in  the  author's  possession. 


HOLY   MOSCOW  23 

not  prevent  his  using  it  as  a  stable  for  his  dragoons  !) ; 
while  Ivan  the  Terrible  was  so  favourably  impressed 
when  the  building  was  completed,  that  he  is  said  to 
have  put  the  architect's  eyes  out  in  order  that  the 
latter  should  never  build  another  like  it !  But  this  is 
a  favourite  story  anent  despotic  monarchs,  and  its 
authenticity  may,  in  this  case,  be  questioned,  for 
although  Ivan's  insensate  cruelty  was  sometimes  that 
of  a  maniac,  he  could  also  on  occasion  prove  himself  a 
wise  and  powerful  ruler,  by  whose  strenuous  efforts 
Siberia  was  annexed,  and  trade  originally  established 
with  England.  Nevertheless  the  Tsar's  sudden  demise 
before  his  eighth  marriage,  to  an  Englishwoman,  Lady 
Mary  Hastings,1  was  for  the  latter  probably  a  for- 
tunate occurrence,  in  view  of  the  mysterious  and  prob- 
ably unpleasant  fate  of  some  of  the  former's  previous 
consorts. 

The  Palace  of  the  Kremlin 2  rather  detracts  from 
the  picturesque  buildings  around  it,  being  a  modern, 
commonplace  edifice,  with  an  exterior  solely  embel- 
lished by  the  golden  spread-eagles  which  so  freely 
adorn  everything  in  Russia,  from  house-fronts  to 
cigarette-boxes.  It  is,  however,  an  enormous  struc- 
ture, accommodating  over  two  thousand  people,  and 
some  of  the  reception  halls  are  very  beautiful,  notably 
those  draped  with  the  colours  of  various  military  and 
civil  orders  :  black  and  yellow  for  that  of  St.  George, 
crimson  for  St.  Alexander  Nevsky,  and  the  turquoise 
blue  of  St.  Andrew.  The  throne  room  is  upholstered 
in  white  satin,  with  gilt  furniture,  crystal  candelabra, 
and  massive  pillars  of  malachite,  and  is  separated  by 
a  covered  garden  of  tropical  vegetation  from  the  State 
dining-hall,  the  marble  walls  and  ceiling  of  which  are 
supported  by  columns  of  lapis  lazuli,  and  where  every- 
thing, including  chairs  and  tables,  is  of  solid  silver. 
The  suite  occupied  by  the  Tsaritza  was  furnished  in  the 
Louis  XV.  period,  while  the  Tsar's  private  study  was 
suggestive  of  an  English  gentleman's  library,  with  its 
writing-table  and  easy-chairs,  well-filled  bookshelves, 
and  modest  air  of  comfort  and  seclusion.  A  private 

1  Daughter  of  the  second  Earl  of  Huntingdon. 

2  It  was  built  in  1849  under  Nicholas  I. 


24  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

passage  leads  from  the  Palace  into  the  Cathedral  of  the 
Assumption,  where  their  Majesties,  when  residing  at 
Moscow,  always  attended  Mass. 

Towards  sunset,  one  fine  summer's  day,  I  ascended 
the  Tower  of  Ivan  Veliky,1  from  which,  by  the  way, 
on  a  grey  wintry  afternoon,  Napoleon  watched  the  fire 
break  out  which  proved  the  forerunner  of  his  defeat. 
The  "  Man  of  Destiny  "  must  have  retained  unpleasant 
recollections  of  this  famous  belfry,  for  previously  to 
this  he  had  ordered  the  massive  cross  above  it  to  be 
dismantled  and  sold,  assuming  it  to  be  of  pure  gold, 
only  to  find  that  it  was  composed  of  gilt  iron.  Seen 
from  this  eminence,  Russia's  Holy  City  presented  a 
map-like  panorama  of  crowded  white  buildings,  red 
roofs,  and  green  gardens,  from  which  arose  the  glitter- 
ing domes  and  crosses  of  the  greatest  number  of  sacred 
buildings  to  be  found  in  such  a  limited  area  throughout 
the  world.  At  my  feet  the  little  River  Moskva,  spanned 
by  innumerable  bridges,  flowed  lazily  through  the  city 
and  out  on  to  fertile  plains,  where  it  was  lost,  in  a 
silver  thread,  on  the  horizon,  while  I  could  faintly  dis- 
tinguish the  Sparrow  Hills,  whence  Napoleon  first 
beheld  the  promised  land  so  soon  to  be  torn  from  his 
grasp.  White-winged  pigeons  circled  incessantly  around 
the  tower,  and  one  perched  on  a  buttress  close  to  my 
hand,  as  if  conscious  that  no  man  could  harm  him,  for 
here  this  bird  is  symbolical  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
therefore  sacred,  and  legally  protected.  And  as  dusk 
crept  over  the  world,  and  lights  began  to  twinkle,  like 
glowworms,  about  the  darkening  city,  the  bells  of  the 
Kremlin  pealed  out,  as  if  at  a  given  signal,  producing 
such  a  wild  and  exquisite  wave  of  melody  that  for  many 
days  after  it  lingered  in  my  memory. 

1  Erected  by  the  Tsar  Boris  Godunoff,  in  order  to  provide  work  for 
\  the  starving  population  of  Moscow  during  the  great  famine  of  1601. 


CHAPTER  IV 

MODERN    MOSCOW 

AN  Englishman  arriving  in  Moscow  for  the  first  time 
in  summer  would  probably  be  unfavourably  impressed, 
for  it  is  then  very  hot  and  oppressive,  while  the  slightest 
breeze  raises  clouds  of  dust.  The  streets  are  therefore 
uninviting  on  dry,  sultry  days,  being  seldom  watered, 
while  in  wet  weather  they  become  seas  of  mud,  which 
clings  to  everything,  especially  public  conveyances,  from 
which  it  is  seldom  removed.  Closer  attention  to  sanita- 
tion would  certainly  render  the  place  healthier,  although 
if  the  millions  of  money  which  have  been  lavished  on 
Petrograd  had  been  expended  here,  Moscow  would  now 
be  one  of  the  most  attractive  and  salubrious  cities  in 
Europe. 

Many  hotels  have  sprung  up  here  since  the  com- 
pletion of  the  Trans-Siberian  Railway,  but  before  its 
construction  the  "  Slavianski-Bazar "  was  the  best, 
and  superior  to  anything  of  the  kind  in  the  capital. 
This  old-established  house  was  so  essentially  Russian  as 
to  be  almost  a  national  institution,  even  the  waiters 
being  sallow,  flat-faced  "  Buriats "  from  the  Russo- 
Chinese  frontier.  The  "  restaurant  "  was  decorated  in 
the  Byzantine  style,  and  of  such  palatial  dimensions 
that  the  numberless  tables  beneath  its  lofty  dome  looked 
like  toys  in  a  doll's  house.  At  one  end  of  the  hall  a 
long  sideboard  groaned  under  every  imaginable  kind  of 
"  zakouski,"  and  in  the  centre  a  marble  fountain  plashed 
into  a  miniature  lake,  where  sterlet  disported  them- 
selves beneath  a  floating  carpet  of  water-lilies.  Here  you 
could  pick  out  your  own  fish,  secure  him  with  a  miniature 
landing-net,  and,  a  few  minutes  later,  see  him  served 
up  at  table,  boiled,  fried,  or  a  la  Tartare,  as  the  case 
might  be.  But  this  alluring  pastime  becomes  expensive 

25 


26  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

when  this  delicacy  is  out  of  season,  for  the  diminutive 
sterlet  which  I  then  ingenuously  landed  figured  on  my 
bill  at  £2  !  ! 

The  term  "  Holy  "  is  aptly  applied  to  even  modern 
Moscow,  where  you  see  in  every  street  saintly  images 
before  which  people  invariably  uncover  and  even  occa- 
sionally prostrate  themselves.  This  outdoor  worship  is 
not  confined  to  the  lower  orders,  and  (with  deepest 
respect  to  the  Greek  Church)  I  could  not  help  reflecting 
how  strange  it  would  seem  if,  in  the  height  of  the  season, 
fashionable  London  thus  practised  its  devotions,  say  in 
Piccadilly  or  Pall  Mall !  For  these  shrines  abound  even 
on  the  "  Pont  des  Marechaux,"  the  principal  promenade, 
which  on  a  fine  afternoon  is  crowded  with  private 
carriages,  motor-cars,  and  fashionably  dressed  women, 
though  the  latter  would  not  have  dared,  even  seventy 
years  ago,  to  walk  alone  in  the  streets,  or  even,  a  century 
earlier,  to  be  seen  anywhere  in  public.  The  women  of 
Muscovy  were  then  as  jealously  guarded  as  their  Maho- 
metan sisters  of  to-day,  and  in  the  older  portion  of 
the  Kremlin  Palace  you  may  still  see  the  "  terem " 
which,  in  mediaeval  days,  was  solely  occupied  by  the 
fair  sex,  and  the  latticed  windows  whence  they  could 
furtively  peep  at  men.  Peter  the  Great  was  the  first 
to  introduce  free  social  intercourse  between  the  sexes, 
and  there  is  a  drill -ground  near  Petrograd  where  its 
imperial  founder  made  women  march  unveiled  before  a 
regiment  of  soldiers  in  order  to  inure  them  to  open 
male  scrutiny. 

The  best  shops  here  have  outwardly  vastly  improved, 
even  during  the  past  decade,  for  plate-glass  fronts  now 
replace  the  dingy  frame -windows  which  formerly  dis- 
closed shabby  specimens  of  the  goods  sold  within.  But 
the  "  Pont  des  Marechaux  "  is  now  an  avenue  of  modern 
and  extensive  establishments  for  the  sale  of  jewellery, 
furs,  and  other  luxuries  of  the  rich,  who  may  here  also 
purchase  the  latest  Parisian  "  creations  "  in  feminine 
apparel  and  dainty  underwear.  The  women  dress  better 
here  than  in  other  Russian  towns — at  any  rate  in  the 
streets;  while  nearly  everything  exposed  for  sale  in 
the  shape  of  men's  clothing  is  advertised  as  coming 
from  London,  but  nevertheless  was  (before  the  war) 


MODERN  MOSCOW  27 

generally  "  made  in  Berlin "  !  For  in  those  days 
thousands  of  German  merchants  and  tradesmen  resided 
here,  and  on  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  public  feeling 
against  them  rose  to  such  a  pitch  that  within  two  days 
all  had  fled  or  been  safely  interned  by  the  authorities. 
Many  were,  however,  maltreated,  and  some  even  killed, 
before  they  could  escape  the  fury  of  the  mob,  which 
wrecked  their  business  premises  and  set  fire  to  princely 
mansions  which  some  had  erected  from  their  ill-gotten 
gains.  The  riots  were  eventually  quelled  by  military 
intervention,  but  not  before  every  alien  store  in  the 
place  had  been  looted  and  then  burnt  down,  nearly 
involving  the  whole  city  in  a  general  conflagration. 
The  anti-German  "  demonstrations  "  in  London  were, 
therefore,  nothing  compared  to  those  which  took  place 
in  Moscow,  and  all  Russians  whom  I  have  recently  met 
are  amazed  at  the  laxity  of  the  British  Government  in 
permitting  Germans  (even  when  naturalized)  to  swagger 
about  at  liberty,  while  our  prisoners  are  so  barbarously 
treated  in  their  own  country. 

One  great  charm  about  Moscow  is  its  undercurrent 
of  Oriental  life,  which,  however,  you  must  visit  the 
slums  to  observe  and  appreciate.  I  first  came  here 
direct  from  Persia,  and  was  therefore  doubly  impressed 
by  the  aspect  of  some  of  the  dingy  courts  and  alleys 
frequented  by  the  Tsar's  Eastern  subjects.  And  one 
day,  while  standing  in  a  narrow,  crowded  passage, 
where  light  filtered  through  a  smoke-begrimed  roof  on 
ragged  Kirghiz,  wild-eyed  Circassians,  and  even  white- 
robed  merchants  from  Merv,  I  could  scarcely  realize 
that  I  was  again  in  Europe.  The  familiar  odour  of 
spices  and  roasting  "  kabobs,"  clink  of  water-sellers' 
cymbals,  and  snarling  of  mangy  curs,  were  much  more 
suggestive  of  some  remote  bazaar  in  the  Far  East. 

My  friend  the  late  French  author,  Aurelien  Scholl, 
once  remarked  to  me  that  a  lovely  city  without  greenery 
resembled  a  pretty  woman  shorn  of  her  locks.  "  For 
what,"  urged  this  charming  writer,  "  would  even  my 
beloved  Paris  look  like  without  trees  and  verdure?" 
And  additional  charm  is  lent  to  even  beautiful  Moscow 
by  the  now  drained  and  cultivated  moat  around  the 
Kremlin,  and  the  many  public  and  private  gardens 


28  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

which  here  present  a  less  neglected  appearance  than 
usual.  Nevertheless  the  only  real  gardens  in  Northern 
Russia  (according  to  our  English  ideas)  are  those  which 
cost  large  sums  of  money,  and  are  composed  of  tropical 
and  hot-house  plants  kept  under  glass.  I  saw  one  of 
these  at  a  house  in  Moscow  owned  by  a  rich  manufac- 
turer who,  although  his  name  is  Scotch,  could  not  speak 
a  word  of  English.  And  I  have  since  met  many  de- 
scendants of  canny  Scots  who  sought  employment 
under  Peter  the  Great,  and  also  Russianized  French- 
men whose  forefathers  fought  under  Napoleon,  and 
who,  after  his  retreat,  remained  in  the  country  and 
became  loyal  subjects  of  the  Tsar.  Even  General 
Skobeleff,  of  Central  Asian  fame,  was  of  British  extrac- 
tion, his  family  having  changed  their  name  from  Scobell. 

Before  the  war  German  was  more  widely  spoken  in 
Russia  than  French,  but  now  the  former  language  is 
strictly  prohibited  and  every  one  is  learning  English, 
especially  in  the  mercantile  world,  for  after  peace  has 
been  declared  an  enormous  increase  of  trade  with  Great 
Britain  is  anticipated.  Up  till  now  the  English  in 
Russia  have  been  commercially  overwhelmed  by  the 
wily  Teuton,  who,  as  he  was  frequently  a  native  of  the 
Baltic  provinces,  and  therefore  practically  half  Russian, 
possessed  an  enormous  advantage  over  the  Britisher 
with  his  insular  customs  and  ignorance  of  the  language. 
The  latter  has  always  been  the  chief  stumbling-block  to 
Britain's  commercial  relations  here,  and  as  our  language 
is  now  being  so  eagerly  acquired  in  Russian  schools,  a 
similar  movement  in  England  would  surely  prove  useful 
in  view  of  our  approaching  struggle  to  capture  Russian 
trade  from  Germany,  which  the  Huns,  when  the  war 
is  over,  will  surely  make  desperate  efforts  to  re-establish. 

These  were  the  views  of  my  Russo-Scotch  host,  who 
also  imparted  the  fact  that  no  two  places  could  be 
more  socially  dissimilar  than  Petrograd  and  Moscow, 
the  former  being  a  city  of  pleasure  and  reckless  extrava- 
gance, and  the  latter  solely  a  metropolis  of  trade  and 
commerce,  where  people  were  too  busily  engaged  in 
making  money  to  worry  about  Court  or  Society  func- 
tions. Only  the  most  ancient  members  of  the  nobility 
resided  in  Moscow,  to  whom  the  latter  was  a  kind  of 


MODERN  MOSCOW  29 

Quartier  Saint-Germain,  whence  they  regarded  frivolous 
Petrograd  much  as  the  old  French  noblesse  looks  askance 
at  less  aristocratic  dwellers  across  the  Seine.  But 
Society  in  Moscow  is  chiefly  composed  of  mercantile 
people,  who  have  amassed  fortunes  in  the  iron  trade 
and  in  the  manufacture  of  textile  fabrics.  The  yearly 
products  from  the  latter  alone  amount  to  something 
like  £25,000,000,  and  I  met  on  this  occasion  a  wealthy 
cotton-spinner  who  employed  over  80,000  workmen  in 
his  various  mills. 

There  were  present  that  day  several  leading  lights  of 
the  commercial  world  and  their  families  who  hoped  I 
preferred  their  city  to  Petrograd,  to  which  I  could 
truthfully  reply  in  the  affirmative.  This  seemed  to 
please  the  ladies,  who  referred  to  the  latter  with  an 
air  of  assumed  indifference  which  scarcely  tallied  with 
their  eagerness  to  hear  the  latest  news  about  the  Court, 
or  any  recent  titbit  of  scandal  concerning  less  exalted 
beings.  And  while  guests  at  similar  gatherings  in 
Petrograd  had  lightly  discussed  events  in  foreign  social 
centres  or  matters  connected  with  their  own  sporting 
and  dramatic  world,  the  chief  topic  of  conversation 
amongst  the  men  here  was  the  acquisition  of  wealth, 
while  their  wives  seemed  to  be  engrossed  in  their  chil- 
dren's ailments  and  the  latest  fashions  from  Paris. 
There  was  as  great  a  contrast  between  the  cultured 
refinement  of  the  one  city  and  the  provincial  tone  of 
the  other  as  that  which  characterizes  the  upper  social 
circles  of,  say,  London  and  Liverpool ;  although  all  here 
seemed  convinced  that  Moscow  must  eventually  super- 
sede its  neighbour  as  chief  city  of  the  empire,  a  prophecy 
which,  however,  I  have  never  heard  elsewhere  expressed. 

My  host  invited  me  to  his  charming  villa  near  Moscow, 
and  nearly  every  wealthy  Russian  possesses  one  of  these 
"  datchas"  in  which,  as  there  are  here  so  few  mountain 
or  seaside  watering-places  available,  he  generally  spends 
the  summer  months.  I  found  my  friend  and  his  family 
attired  in  peasant  costume,  and  outwardly  affecting 
an  ultra-simple  life  which  was  hardly  compatible  with 
gambling,  late  hours,  and  the  ministrations  of  a  French 
chef.  Fresh-water  bathing  and  fishing  enter  largely 
into  this  rural  life,  and  there  is  little  else  to  do  in  the 


30  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

shape  of  amusement  but  to  walk  to  the  railway  station 
and  see  trains  arrive  and  depart.  Meals  are  taken  in 
the  garden  even  although  the  weather  is  frequently 
chilly,  and  as  these  cottages  are  built  solely  for  hot 
weather,  a  lengthened  stay  in  a  "  datchas "  under 
these  conditions  becomes  a  dubious  pleasure.  The 
lower  classes  here  have  a  poor  time  of  it  in  summer, 
for  there  are  no  cheap  pleasure  resorts  and  excursion 
trains,  as  in  England,  and  their  holiday  trips,  there- 
fore, seldom  extend  beyond  the  precincts  of  their  native 
town. 

My  host  was,  as  I  have  said,  of  Scotch  origin,  and 
therefore  of  less  erratic  temperament  than  a  thorough- 
bred Russian,  but  it  has  always  been  a  mystery  to  me 
how  the  latter  ever  make  money  by  their  own  exertions, 
for,  judged  by  ordinary  standards,  they  are  the  worst 
business  men  in  the  world.  And  if  "  manana  "  x  charac- 
terizes indolent  Spain,  the  word  "  zavtre "  (which 
means  the  same  thing)  is  equally  applicable  to  Russian 
commercial  methods,  for  every  one  here  has  a  dilatory 
way  of  transacting  the  most  important  affairs,  which 
to  a  stranger  is  incomprehensible.  Having  once  been 
interested  in  a  Siberian  gold  proposition,  I  travelled 
expressly  to  Petrograd  in  order  to  confer  with  the 
holder  of  the  concession,  whom  I  found  a  charming 
man,  and  so  hospitably  inclined  that  three  days  elapsed 
before  I  could  persuade  him  even  to  listen  to  a  scheme 
by  which  we  both  might,  if  successful,  have  made  a 
considerable  sum  of  money.  But  nothing  would  induce 
my  casual  friend  to  stick  to  business,  the  discussion  of 
which  he  invariably  postponed,  even  on  the  most  trivial 
pretext,  until  a  fortnight  had  elapsed,  when,  having 
lost  all  patience  and  accomplished  nothing,  I  returned 
to  England  !  This  procrastination  seemed  to  permeate 
the  empire;  and  once,  in  Arctic  Siberia,  it  nearly  cost 
me  my  life,  when  the  owner  of  a  reindeer  "  stancia  " 
refused,  out  of  sheer  laziness,  to  furnish  me  for  several 
days  with  deer  which  he  could  have  easily  obtained  in 
as  many  hours.  He  thus  caused  an  unnecessary  delay, 
by  which  my  sled  was  nearly  submerged  through  the 
rapidly  melting  surface  of  a  frozen  river. 

1  To-morrow. 


MODERN  MOSCOW  31 

Both  indoor  and  outdoor  places  of  amusement  abound 
in  Moscow,  and  the  principal  theatres  are  conveniently 
situated  in  the  centre  of  the  town.  Here  also  is  the 
44  Hermitage,"  one  of  the  finest  restaurants  in  Europe, 
and  famous  for  its  cuisine,  rare  old  vintages  and  won- 
derful gold  plate,  where  you  are  served  by  picturesque 
Tartars  in  snow-white  garb  and  Russian  embroidery, 
who  wear  list  shoes  so  that  silent  waiting  may  enhance 
the  enjoyment  of  a  generally  perfect  meal.  In  Petro- 
grad  dress  clothes  (or  at  any  rate  a  dinner  jacket)  are 
worn  at  such  places,  but  in  Moscow  men  of  the  upper 
class  rarely  dress  for  dinner,  although  their  ladies 
appear  in  the  most  elaborate  toilettes,  in  striking  con- 
trast to  the  broadcloth  and  tweeds  of  their  male  com- 
panions. But  most  men  in  Russia  wear  a  uniform  of 
some  sort,  or  even  the  opera  here  would  present  a  very 
dull  appearance. 

The  Hermitage  is  an  enormous  building,  with  vast 
public  dining-halls  and  a  perfect  rabbit-warren  of 
cabinets  particuliers,  which,  discreetly  concealed,  have 
been  the  scene  of  many  a  secret  love  meeting,  and  even 
once  of  a  tragedy,  resulting  in  a  fatal  duel  and  the 
social  downfall  of  a  fair  but  frail  one  who  had  hitherto 
graced  the  most  exclusive  circles.  And  while  on  this 
delicate  subject  I  may  mention  that  I  am  frequently 
asked  which,  in  my  opinion,  is  the  most  immoral  city 
in  Europe — a  riddle  easily  solved,  for  the  Eulenburg 
scandals  and  other  revelations  have  conclusively  proved 
that  Berlin  is  unequalled  for  every  form  of  social 
depravity  and  sordid  vice.  Paris,  on  the  other  hand, 
has  always,  to  my  mind,  been  greatly  maligned  in  this 
respect,  for  London  is  probably  much  more  wicked  in  a 
dull,  depressing  way.  On  the  whole,  I  think  the  most 
dissolute  European  city  I  have  known  of  recent  years  is 
the  Rumanian  capital — while  Buda-Pest  is  a  good  second, 
or  was,  for  the  latter  was  morally  purified  (some  years 
since)  by  order  of  the  late  Emperor  of  Austria,  who  from 
all  accounts  was  scarcely  himself  a  paragon  of  virtue  ! 
Moscow  itself  was,  twenty  years  ago,  by  no  means  a 
school  of  morals,  although  the  hotel  porter  did  not,  it 
is  true  (like  his  Hungarian  colleagues  in  the  past), 
welcome  male  guests  with  a  book  containing  photo- 


32  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

graphs  of  attractive  ladies  willing  (for  a  consideration) 
to  dine,  sup,  and  otherwise  entertain  the  lonely  stranger. 
Nevertheless  even  here  the  latter  would  (in  those  days) 
be  quietly  given  to  understand  that  he  need  never 
suffer,  during  his  sojourn  at  the  hotel,  from  a  lack  of 
pleasurable  female  companionship  ! 

Moscow  was  once  the  chief  point  of  departure  for 
criminal  and  political  offenders  sentenced  to  imprison- 
ment or  exile  in  Siberia,  and  both  men  and  women 
were  formerly  dispatched  from  its  great  forwarding 
prison  on  a  journey  which  might,  according  to  circum- 
stances, terminate  just  over  the  Asiatic  border  or  be 
prolonged  as  far  as  the  Polar  Sea.1  It  was  in  this 
gloomy  building  that  I  first  made  acquaintance  with 
the  inside  of  a  Russian  prison,  a  preliminary  experience 
which  led  to  my  inspection  of  every  penal  establishment 
and  house  of  detention  throughout  Siberia.  But  that 
is  another  story,  and  I  merely  mention  the  Moscow 
gaol  with  reference  to  a  curious  incident  which  occurred 
there  during  my  first  semi-official  visit,  and  which  tends 
to  show  that  "  All  is  not  gold  that  glitters,"  especially 
with  regard  to  the  "  distinguished  foreigner "  who 
occasionally  honours  England  with  his  presence.  I 
was  accompanied  by  the  Governor,  a  stern,  punctilious 
personage  who,  when  we  had  traversed  numerous 
wards  and  courtyards  crowded  with  convicts,  led  me 
to  a  secluded  portion  of  the  building  reserved  for 
prisoners  awaiting  trial.  Each  one  occupied  a  separate 
cell,  and  enjoyed  certain  privileges  which  enabled  him 
to  retain  his  own  clothes  and  purchase  other  comforts 
suited  to  his  means. 

"  We  have  here  a  sad  but  interesting  case,"  said  my 
guide,  pausing  in  front  of  a  low,  iron-studded  door; 
"  for  this  man  is  very  highly  connected,  was  an  officer 
in  the  'Chevaliers-Gardes,'  and  speaks  about  a  dozen 
languages  like  a  native.  Yet  this  is  his  third  offence  in 
Russia  alone,  for  which  he  will  certainly  be  sent  to  penal 
servitude  in  Siberia.  It  is  always  the  same  story : 
swindling  and  embezzlement.  A  charming  and  popular 
member  of  society  with  the  instincts  of  a  thief !  Very 

1  Most  prisoners  have  of  recent  years  been  deported  by  sea  from 
Odessa  to  the  island  of  Sakhalin. 


MODERN  MOSCOW  33 

sad  !  "  he  added,  as  a  gaoler  drew  back  bolts  and  bars 
to  admit  us  into  the  cell,  the  occupant  of  which  rose 
from  a  table  at  which  he  had  been  seated.  And  I 
stared  in  amazement  as  the  subdued  light  from  a  small, 
barred  window  fell  upon  a  tall,  slender  figure  wearing 
well-cut  blue  serge  and  smoking  a  cigarette.  In  a 
moment  I  had  recognized  those  handsome  features 
(although  the  latter  were  now  partly  concealed  by  a 
long,  fair  beard),  and  as  our  eyes  met  in  mutual  recog- 
nition, its  owner  sprang  forward  and,  joyfully  seizing 
my  hands,  addressed  me  by  my  Christian  name  !  The 
Governor  said  nothing,  but  fairly  gaped  with  astonish- 
ment, which,  under  the  circumstances,  was  not  surprising ! 

Yet  the  explanation  was  simple,  for  this  was  an 
individual  with  whom  only  a  few  months  before  I  had 
freely  associated,  and  almost  regarded  as  a  friend  ! 
When  Count  Tchertoff  (as  he  then  called  himself)  came 
to  London  he  was  almost  unknown,  but  adroitly  con- 
trived to  obtain  admission  to  the  best  town  and  country 
houses,  where  he  was  soon  regarded  as  a  favoured  guest ; 
indeed,  he  even  once  attended  a  garden-party  at  Marl- 
borough  House  !  As  the  Count  was  apparently  pos- 
sessed of  ample  means  and  a  guileless  nature,  he  became 
immensely  popular,  especially  amongst  the  members  of 
one  of  my  clubs,  to  which  he  was  temporarily  elected, 
and  where  he  lost  heavily  at  cards.  Tchertoff  was,  in 
short,  such  a  cheery  and  amusing  companion  that  I 
felt  really  sorry  when  he  left  England.  An  unfor- 
tunate love  affair  was,  he  explained,  the  cause  of  his 
departure,  although  it  is  now  significant  that,  just 
before  the  latter,  a  diamond  tiara  was  stolen  from  a 
ducal  country  mansion  in  which  the  Count  was  staying 
at  the  time.  But  Tchertoff  had,  in  those  days,  only 
just  embarked  on  the  criminal  career  which  has  since 
rendered  him  notorious  throughout  the  world,  for  there 
is  probably  not  a  detective  in  Europe  or  America  who 
has  not  heard,  at  some  time  or  another,  of  that  audacious 
prince  of  thieves  and  swindlers,  Nikolai  Savine. 

The  Count,  on  this  occasion,  blandly  informed  me 
that  debt  was  the  cause  of  his  detention,  whereas  it 
was  a  jewel  robbery  at  Warsaw  which,  a  month  later, 
sent  him  for  five  years  to  the  silver  mines  of  Nertchinsk. 


34  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW  IT 

From  these,  however,  this  daring  rascal  managed  to 
escape  and  make  his  way  on  a  small  sealing  vessel,  via 
Vladivostok,  to  America,  where,  as  luck  would  have  it, 
I  met  the  fugitive  face  to  face  in  the  Palace  Hotel  in 
San  Francisco.  Here  Savine  was  posing  as  a  wealthy 
French  nobleman  (under  the  name  of  "  Count  de 
Toulouse  Lautrec"),  but  this  time  there  was,  on  his 

Eart,   no  effusive  greeting,   for  on   seeing  me  my  old 
•iend  hurriedly  turned  away,  left  the  hotel,  and  never 
returned  for  his  luggage  ! 

Savine  must  now  be  nearly  sixty  years  of  age,  and, 
notwithstanding  all  the  efforts  of  his  titled  relatives  to 
reform  him,  has  passed  quite  a  third  of  his  life  in  prison. 
Only  a  year  ago  I  read  that  he  had  again  been  convicted 
for  a  fraud  committed  at  Pau,  in  France.  But  all 
efforts  to  explain  my  former  and  innocent  association 
with  this  arch-crook  failed  to  convince  the  Governor  of 
Moscow  prison,  who,  although  I  had  the  highest  official 
credentials,  regarded  me  for  ever  after  with  ill-concealed 
distrust ! 


CHAPTER  V 

MY    FRIEND    THE    MOUJIK 

I  CALL  him  my  friend  as  he  has  so  often  proved  one 
when  I  have  urgently  needed  his  assistance.  Many  a 
time,  when  paralyzed  with  cold,  have  I  been  carried 
from  a  sleigh  into  his  stuffy,  but  welcome,  "  izba," 
there  to  be  gradually  restored  to  life  by  scalding  brick- 
tea  and  other  comforts  which  even  the  poorest  Russian 
peasant  is  ever  ready  to  lavish  upon  the  homeless 
wanderer.  For  hospitality  is  here  regarded  less  as  a 
virtue  than  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  the  money 
which  I  have  tendered  on  such  occasions  has  generally 
been  refused,  even  by  those  who  could  ill  afford  to 
lose  a  "  kopek,"  much  less  entertain  a  hungry  guest. 

The  Russian  language  is  universal  throughout  the 
empire,  and  never  varies,  whether  it  be  spoken  in 
the  salons  of  Petrograd  or  icebound  Arctic  regions. 
There  are,  moreover,  no  dialects,  for  the  plebeian  talks 
with  as  pure  an  accent  as  the  patrician,  and  a  man's 
station  in  life  is  more  readily  detected  by  his  manners 
than  by  his  mode  of  speech.  This  national  unity  also 
applies  to  Russian  villages,  which,  although  they  natur- 
ally differ  as  to  prosperity,  size,  and  neatness,  present 
a  uniform  appearance,  whether  they  be  situated  in 
Europe  or  the  wildest  parts  of  Siberia.  All  are  built 
of  wood  (for  the  Moujik  regards  stone  or  bricks  as 
unhealthy  to  live  in),  and  have  one  straggling  street 
formed  by  detached  cottages  of  various  sizes,  which 
are  either  thatched,  or  roofed  with  wooden  slats  or 
sheet-iron,  according  to  the  means  or  taste  of  the 
owner.  One  or  two  may  have  a  second  storey,  and 
these  are  generally  occupied  by  the  "  starosta,"  x 
local  "  tchinovnik,"  2  or  village  priest,  while  even 

1  Head  man  of  the  village.  2  Government  official. 

35 


36  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

the  squalid  hovel  has  an  enclosed  space  for  stables, 
outhouses  and  cattle  byres,  where  fruit  and  vegetables 
are  also  grown.  The  post-road  (which  is  also  the 
main  street)  is  usually  a  rough,  uneven,  and  occasion- 
ally grass-grown  highway,  worn  into  deep  ruts  and 
holes  by  constant  traffic  which  in  wet  weather  renders 
it  a  quagmire,  converted  in  winter  into  a  smooth  sleigh 
track  of  frozen  snow.  Two  prominent  objects  are  the 
wooden  church  with  its  sky-blue  or  apple-green  domes, 
and  the  other  the  granary,  a  spacious  black  barn  where 
grain  is  stored  for  public  use  in  case  of  a  lean  harvest. 
The  wells  are  also  a  distinctive  feature,  each  having 
two  lofty  poles  (like  the  Egyptian  shadoof),  for 
drawing  purposes,  which  impart  a  quaint  Oriental 
touch  to  the  landscape,  while  at  the  entrance  to  each 
village  is  a  wooden  sign-post  bearing  the  name  of  the 
place,  the  number  of  men,  horses,  and  cattle  which  it 
contains,  and  in  some  instances  the  number  of  versts 
separating  it  from  the  capital. 

The  Moujik  generally  builds  his  house  himself,  end 
on  to  the  street,  and  although  his  tools  are  very  primi- 
tive, he  uses  them  with  wonderful  dexterity.  Thus, 
an  ordinary  axe  is  made  to  serve  as  plane,  saw,  chisel, 
and  mallet,  and  is  also  occasionally  employed  as  a 
weapon  of  self-defence,  or  to  cut  a  track,  in  winter, 
through  the  snow.  Indeed,  there  is  very  little  which 
a  Moujik  cannot  accomplish  with  this  instrument, 
which  in  the  hands  of  even  a  skilled  British  work- 
man would  probably  be  useless.  Peasant  courage 
and  ingenuity  were  strikingly  demonstrated  some  years 
ago  by  one  Telushkin,  who,  for  the  sum  of  eighty 
roubles,  undertook  to  regild  single-handed  the  spire 
and  cross  of  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul 
in  Petrograd.  And  this  herculean  task  was  accom- 
plished without  the  aid  of  scaffolding,  Telushkin  sitting 
astride  a  little  wooden  saddle  which  he  had  himself 
suspended  by  cords,  although  the  spire,  from  its  base 
to  the  summit  of  the  cross,  is  four  hundred  and  fifty-five 
feet  high  ! 

There  is  little  variety  in  the  architecture  of  a  Russian 
village,  where  the  smallest  and  poorest  hut  is  but  a 
replica  of  the  most  imposing  building;  while  rustic 


MY  FRIEND   THE   MOUJIK  37 

decoration,  in  the  shape  of  trellised  porches,  summer- 
houses,  or  the  like  is  unknown.  The  few  shops  are 
indicated  by  rough  fir  boards,  displaying  crude  paint- 
ings of  wearing  apparel,  joints  of  meat,  or  loaves  of 
bread  to  indicate  that  the  occupier  is  either  a  tailor, 
butcher,  or  baker;  and  there  is  always  a  forge,  which, 
in  posting  districts,  is  of  course  a  necessity.  Horses 
and  cattle  roam  about  at  liberty,  to  the  danger  at 
night-time  of  vehicles  on  the  post-road;  while,  when 
their  parents  are  at  work  in  the  fields,  little  children 
are  sometimes  attacked  by  gaunt,  grey  hogs,  which 
boldly  enter  even  the  houses  in  search  of  food.  Most 
Russian  villages  have  a  cheerless,  squalid  aspect,  even 
in  brilliant  sunshine,  for  they  are  generally  surrounded 
by  monotonous  plains  or  gloomy  pine  forests,  which 
add  to  their  air  of  solitude  and  dejection. 

Let  us  assume  that  we  have  reached  one  at  dusk 
after  a  long  day's  journey  in  dirty  weather,  and  over 
atrocious  roads.  The  first  thing  is  to  find  a  night's 
lodging,  which,  if  there  be  a  post-house,  is  always  ob- 
tainable, although  the  latter  is  usually  dirty  and  com- 
fortless, and  you  are  kept  awake  all  night  by  the  arrival 
and  departure  of  travellers,  even  if  you  can  sleep  at 
all,  devoured  by  vermin,  on  a  hard  wooden  bench. 
The  best  plan,  therefore,  is  to  knock  up  the  "  star- 
osta,"  who,  if  you  have  a  Government  permit,  is  bound 
to  receive  you,  but  who,  in  any  case,  will  probably 
offer  you  hospitality.  Let  us,  then,  enter  this  village 
magnate's  house,  where  I  first  enjoyed  peasant  hospi- 
tality, and  where  my  first  impression  was  one  of  in- 
tolerable heat  and  stuffiness,  for  although  it  was  a 
sultry  autumn  evening,  the  double  windows  were 
tightly  closed.  These  are  common  throughout  Russia. 
In  October,  no  sooner  has  the  first  sharp  frost  set  in, 
than  the  smallest  crevices  are  stopped,  the  double 
sashes  which  have  been  removed  are  replaced — only  a 
small  air-hole  being  left  here  and  there.  In  the  inter- 
mediate space  between  the  double  windows,  salt,  sand, 
or  cotton  wool,  are  placed  to  absorb  the  damp  collect- 
ing there.  The  salt  is  heaped  up  in  all  sorts  of  fanciful 
forms,  which  stand  untouched  till  spring;  and  the 
layer  of  sand  is  planted  with  artificial  flowers  and 


38  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

other  ornaments.  Every  house  has  its  own  devices, 
and  it  is  amusing  to  make  a  tour  of  the  streets  on  a 
bright  winter  day  and  observe  the  different  ways  in 
which  the  double  windows  are  decorated.  This  was 
on  this  occasion  the  sole  attempt  at  adornment,  with 
the  exception  of  two  large  oleographs  of  the  Tsar  and 
Tsarina,  and  the  "  ikon  "  suspended  in  a  corner  with 
its  little  silver  lamp  which  is  lit  on  feast-days.  When 
in  Russia,  you  must  always  uncover  upon  entering 
a  room,  whether  it  be  in  palace  or  hovel,  for  it  invari- 
ably contained  this  sacred  emblem,  and,  as  a  rule,  also 
a  portrait  of  the  reigning  sovereign.  I  once  had  my 
hat  knocked  off  by  an  irate  stranger  in  a  Siberian 
cafe,  when,  being  ignorant  of  this  custom,  I  had  not 
at  once  removed  it  on  entering  the  place. 

The  starosta's  house  consisted  of  one  large  apart- 
ment, about  forty  feet  by  twenty-five,  with  walls  and 
ceiling  of  rough-hewn  logs  caulked  with  tarred  felt, 
and  uncarpeted  deal  planks  for  a  flooring.  It  con- 
tained a  circular  deal  table,  three  or  four  horsehair 
chairs,  and  wooden  benches  around  the  walls,  which 
latter,  at  night-time,  formed  a  resting-place.  One  end 
of  the  room,  screened  off  by  a  thick  curtain,  was  used 
as  the  women's  chamber,  in  which  there  was  presum- 
ably a  bed,  although  the  men  seldom  use  one.  There 
were  also  in  this  superior  dwelling  a  few  books — cheap 
editions  of  Tolstoy,  Pushkin,  and  a  translation  of  one 
of  Dickens' s  works,  but  in  most  peasant  households  the 
library  consists  solely  of  a  Bible  and  other  sacred 
volumes. 

My  venerable  host  introduced  me  to  his  numerous 
family,  who  were  drinking  tea  around  a  "  samovar," 
and  whom  I  joined,  while  noting  that  nearly  a  third 
of  the  room  was  occupied  by  an  enormous  stove,  the 
top  of  which  is  used,  in  winter,  by  the  men  and  boys 
of  the  household  as  a  sleeping-place.  These  stoves 
generally  indicate  their  owner's  condition  in  life,  those 
of  the  better  class  being  made  of  glazed  porcelain,  while 
inferior  beings  have  to  be  content  with  clay;  and  the 
ovens  which  they  contain  are  used,  not  only  for  cooking, 
but  also  to  subject  clothing  to  great  heat  in  order  to 
destroy  parasites.  For  nearly  all  these  dwellings  are 


MY  FRIEND   THE   MOUJIK  39 

infested  with  vermin — especially  the  "  tarakan,"  a 
kind  of  small  cockroach,  thousands  of  which  swarm 
on  the  walls  and  ceiling  of  even  the  cleanest  houses, 
and  which  are  derisively  called  "  Prussak  "  or  Prussians. 
Nothing  is  therefore  more  essential,  when  travelling 
through  Russia,  than  a  supply  of  strong  insecticide, 
for  although  the  Moujik's  person  is  cleanly  his  clothes 
and  surroundings  are  generally  very  much  the  reverse. 
Occasionally  fowls  are  kept  indoors,  bringing  with 
them  legions  of  fleas,  and  the  living-room  is  littered 
with  rubbish  and  thick  with  dust,  while  the  floor  is 
engrained  with  the  dirt  of  years.  But  these  are  minor 
discomforts  to  a  tired  and  hungry  man,  so  I  thoroughly 
enjoyed  that  first  supper  under  a  Moujik's  roof,  the 
meal  consisting  of  white  bread  (a  rare  delicacy),  cold 
pork,  "  agourtsi,"  1  wild  berries  and  cream.  But  the 
starosta  was  a  rich  man,  and  the  fare,  therefore,  sump- 
tuous compared  with  that  which  I  have  shared,  on 
similar  occasions,  some  hundreds  of  times  since. 

My  experience  of  Russian  village  life  during  the 
past  thirty  years  has  led  me  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  Moujik  is,  generally  speaking,  one  of  the  best  fellows 
in  the  world,  which  fact  is  greatly  to  his  credit,  seeing 
that,  up  to  the  time  of  his  emancipation,  he  was  prac- 
tically regarded  as  an  animal,  unworthy  of  the  treat- 
ment or  ordinary  privileges  of  a  human  being.  He 
was  in  those  days  badly  housed  and  habitually  ill- 
treated,  his  women,  if  young  and  attractive,  were 
outraged,  and  his  children  neglected  and  starved,  for 
the  serfs  were  regarded  as  mere  beasts  of  burthen,  and 
their  condition  was  almost  as  abject  as  that  of  an 
African  slave.  Yet,  notwithstanding  that  long  period 
of  oppression  and  degradation,  the  Moujik  has  contrived 
in  less  than  sixty  years  2  to  become  a  decent  member 
of  society,3  and  if  this  social  improvement  has  been 
partly  due  to  legislation,  some  credit  is  due  to  the 
peasants  themselves  for  suggesting  the  organization  of 
their  now  existing  "  mirs,"  or  village  communes.  The 

1  Pickled  cucumbers. 

*  The  emancipation  of  the  serfs  was  decreed  in  1861. 
3  In  1868  only  eight  per  cent,  of  them  could  read  and  write,  whereas 
now  nearly  half  of  them  can  do  so. 


40  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

latter  were  instituted  for  the  purpose  of  local  self- 
government,  and  are  now  empowered  by  the  State  to 
settle  economical  matters,  revise  and  equalize  village 
taxes,  and  elect  an  executive  administration  under 
the  presidency  of  a  "  starosta,"  or  local  chief,  justice 
being  thus  administered  according  to  the  laws  and 
traditions  of  each  district.  Every  village  is  authorized 
to  select  this  official,  who  may  be  its  wealthiest  or 
poorest  inhabitant,  provided  that  he  is  the  person  best 
qualified  for  the  work.  Sometimes  every  member  of 
the  "  mir  "  is  appointed  by  turns,  for  the  office  is  not 
popular,  as  it  involves  frequent  and  often  heated  dis- 
cussions with  the  "  tchinovnik,"  who  is  not  always  a 
man  of  integrity  or  honesty  of  purpose.  There  is  also 
the  "  zemtsvo,"  a  higher  provincial  council  to  which 
every  litigant  before  the  "  mir "  has  the  right  of 
appeal. 

A  Russian  village  has  nothing  in  common  with  ours 
in  England,  where  the  name  is  generally  suggestive  of 
rural  peace  and  sylvan  scenery,  for  here  there  is  no 
squire's  mansion,  ivy-grown  rectory,  or  old-fashioned 
inn  which,  surrounded  by  snug  homesteads,  render 
its  English  prototype  so  homely  and  attractive.  The 
landowners  here  generally  reside  for  only  a  few  weeks 
on  their  estates,  in  the  summer-time,  their  winters 
being  passed  in  Petrograd  or  Southern  Europe,  and 
there  is  therefore  no  one  to  take  a  kindly  interest 
in  the  peasant  or  to  lighten  his  lot  in  health  or  sick- 
ness. Moreover,  the  local  priest  or  pope  x  cannot  be 
compared  to  an  English  parson,  being  generally  an 
illiterate  individual  with  a  partiality  for  vodka,  which 
he  is  fortunately  no  longer  able  to  gratify.  He  receives, 
as  a  rule,  no  stipend  from  the  State,  but  merely  a  small 
piece  of  land  for  farming  purposes,  and  as  he  is  other- 
wise dependent  on  the  private  fees  received  for  bap- 
tisms, marriages  and  burials,  his  flock  is  generally 
made  to  pay  their  pastor  through  the  nose.  Most  of 
the  rural  popes  I  met  were  unctuous,  crafty  individuals, 
who  looked  like  birds  of  prey  in  their  long,  dark  robes, 
with  greasy  ringlets  streaming  down  their  shoulders. 

1  "  To  put  it  in  the  most  charitable  way,  the  Popes  are  not  respected 
by  the  '  Moujiks l  n  (Stepniak's  Russian  Peasantry). 


MY  FRIEND   THE   MOUJIK  41 

The  local  "  tchinovnik "  was  equally  objectionable, 
and  only  associated  with  the  peasants  when  compelled 
or  when  he  could  secretly  extort  a  few  roubles,  for  most 
of  these  rural  officials  are  out  to  make  money,  and 
generally  succeed. 

The  Moujik  is  the  soul  of  hospitality  and  generous 
to  a  fault,  but  economical,  not  to  say  stingy,  where  his 
own  wants  are  concerned,  for,  even  when  wealthy 
enough  to  obtain  them,  he  will  not  only  deprive  him- 
self of  the  ordinary  comforts  of  life,  but  undergo  severe 
privations  in  order  to  save  money.  I  have  thus  often 
found  a  man  living  in  a  hovel  which  contained  enough 
cash  to  buy  up  half  his  village,  this  anomalous  con- 
dition arising  from  a  desire  to  leave  his  heirs  well  pro- 
vided for,  and  not  with  any  miserly  notion  of  hoarding 
wealth.  On  the  other  hand,  even  the  most  careful 
will  financially  cripple  themselves  in  order  to  purchase 
good  agricultural  machinery.  For  the  Moujik' s  sole 
object  in  life  is  the  improvement  of  his  land,  to  which 
he  is  so  devotedly  attached,  by  tradition  and  lifelong 
association,  and  if  this  strange  being  were  offered  a  life 
of  luxury  and  an  inexhaustible  banking  account  in 
Petrograd,  he  would  probably  refuse  them. 

The  "  traktir  "  1  is  now  no  longer  a  favourite  resort 
after  working  hours,  but  it  is  only  fair  to  add  that 
drunkenness  has  never  been  so  prevalent  here  as  is 
generally  supposed  in  England.  The  habitual  intem- 
perance once  ascribed  to  the  Russian  peasantry  is  on 
a  par  with  other  exploded  insular  myths,  such  as,  for 
instance,  the  bearded  Cossack,  who,  in  my  early  youth, 
was  depicted  as  devouring  tallow  candles  by  the  score  ! 
Every  Moujik  was  also  supposed  to  beat  his  wife,  and 
no  doubt,  in  former  days,  chastisement  was  occasionally 
administered  by  a  husband  to  his  lazy  or  erring  spouse ; 
indeed,  I  once  saw  a  birch  suspended  on  the  wall  over 
a  conjugal  couch,  but  it  was  jokingly  alluded  to  by  the 
owner  as  a  relic  of  a  barbarous  and  bygone  age.  In 
any  case,  the  cheerful  readiness  with  which  these  people 
have  given  up  "  vodka  "  in  favour  of  "  kvas  "  is  ample 
proof  that  they  were  never  more  than  occasional 
1  Public-house. 


42  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

inebriates,  who  would  make  up  for  a  week's  abstention 
by  getting  gloriously  drunk  on  the  seventh  day  and, 
throughout  the  rest  of  the  week,  keep  strictly  sober.1 
And  I  can  safely  say  that  I  have  never,  in  all  my  ex- 
perience, seen  their  womenkind  the  worse  for  liquor. 
Nevertheless  one  must  have  seen  (as  I  have)  one-third 
of  a  small  village  composed  of  "  traktirs  "  to  thoroughly 
appreciate  the  benefits  conferred  upon  the  nation  by 
the  recent  restrictions  on  the  sale  of  alcohol.  These 
have  also  greatly  hampered  the  operations  of  Jewish 
usurers,  formerly  the  curse  of  every  village,  for  when 
things  went  wrong,  owing  to  sickness  or  drought,  the 
Moujiks  were  often  compelled  to  raise  money,  and  this 
was  the  village  Shylock's  opportunity  to  advance  it  at 
a  ruinous  interest,  obtaining  the  borrower's  house  and 
land  as  security.  When  a  number  of  plots  had  thus 
become,  mortgaged,  the  Jew  would  refuse  further  credit, 
and  having  appropriated  the  various  properties,  become 
a  landed  proprietor  at  his  clients'  expense.  This  evil 
was  obviously  at  its  worst  when  the  grog-shops  drove  a 
roaring  trade,  and  financial  transactions  were  conducted 
by  victims  excited  or  fuddled  by  drink,  a  condition 
quickly  taken  advantage  of  by  the  sober  and  crafty 
Israelite. 

Nearly  every  Russian  province  has  its  typical  costume, 
but  this  is  only  assumed  on  State  occasions,  the  ordinary 
summer  dress  being  a  shirt  of  red  flannel  or  chintz 
material,  and  black  velvet  or  linen  trousers  tucked  into 
high  boots,  worn,  as  a  rule,  by  stalwart,  bearded  fellows 
of  magnificent  "  physique,"  although  they  subsist 
almost  solely  on  fish  (fresh  or  salted  according  to  cir- 
cumstances), "  kasha,"  eggs  and  black  bread.  Only 
the  wealthier  peasants  partake  of  meat  (which  is  boiled 
in  "  shtchi "  or  cabbage  soup  before  being  eaten)  and 
then  only  rarely,  for  the  Moujik  dislikes  anything  in 
the  shape  of  food  which  is  not  of  his  own  production, 
and  he  is  not  often  a  large  cattle-owner.  Nor  will  he 
ever  touch  bears'  flesh,  believing  that  the  latter  was 
originally  a  human  being  who  was  punished  for  his 
sins  by  being  transformed  into  a  beast ;  whilst  hares  he 

1  "  The  suppression  of  the  sale  of  Vodka  has  lessened  the  Imperial 
Revenue  by  one-fourth"  (Europe's  Debt  to  Russia,  by  Sarolea). 


MY  FRIEND   THE   MOUJIK  43 

regards  as  vermin,  and,  in  some  districts,  pork  as  un- 
clean and  therefore  uneatable.  The  Moujik  is  also 
very  particular  as  to  the  way  in  which  his  food  is  pre- 
pared, and  although  the  table  may  be  swarming  with 
"  tarakans,"  the  fare,  however  humble,  is  always 
served  with  scrupulously  clean  plates  and  glasses. 
They  are  not  great  smokers  in  the  rural  districts  (except 
in  the  south),  and  rarely  smoke  cigarettes,  but  prefer 
a  cheap  Bessarabian  tobacco  called  "  mahorka,"  which 
is  used,  not  only  for  smoking,  but  to  keep  the  moth 
out  of  clothing.  For  its  fumes  will  instantly  kill  any 
insect,  and  although  I  am  used  to  strong  mixtures,  a 
few  whiffs  of  it  made  me  violently  sick  ! 

In  winter -time  both  men  and  women  wear  sheep- 
skins, and  high  felt  boots,  which  are  only  removed  for 
bathing  purposes.  Some  cottages  are  provided  with  a 
steam-bath,  where  the  whole  family  assemble  on  Sundays 
and  feast-days,  which,  as  there  are  about  one  hundred 
and  seventy  of  the  latter  in  the  yearly  calendar,  main- 
tains at  any  rate  their  bodies  in  a  state  of  cleanliness. 
Every  village  also  has  a  public  bath-house,  which  is 
paved  with  bricks  so  heated  as  to  emit  dense  clouds  of 
steam  when  water  is  poured  on  them.  Profuse  per- 
spiration is  induced  by  birching  with  twigs,  and  this 
operation  is  followed  by  a  cold  water  douche,  or  in 
winter  by  a  roll  in  the  snow  or  immersion  in  the  ice-hole 
of  the  neighbouring  river  or  stream,  which  is  always 
kept  open  throughout  the  winter  in  order  to  draw 
water. 

Russian  peasant  women  are  rarely  attractive  (except 
in  the  southern  districts),  and  this  is  partly  because  they 
work  hard  in  the  fields  as  well  as  the  household,  while 
their  everyday  costume  consists  of  an  ill-fitting  cotton 
bodice  and  voluminous  skirt  of  the  same  material. 
It  is  only  on  Sundays  and  holidays  that  the  younger 
ones  are  attired  in  spotless  white,  occasionally  trimmed 
with  delicate  Russian  embroidery,  and  also  wear  the 
"  kakoshnik,"  a  kind  of  tiara  of  ruby  or  turquoise  velvet 
adorned  with  tiny  seeds-pearls.  Those  worn  by  the 
upper  classes  are  set  with  priceless  gems,  and  this 
head-dress  is  so  becoming  that  one  wonders  it  has  not 
been  more  widely  adopted  in  England. 


44  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

A  Russian  village  looks  its  best  on  a  fine  summer's 
evening,  especially  if  it  be  on  a  high-day  or  festival, 
when  every  one  wears  the  national  costume,  and  there 
are  athletic  sports,  perhaps  a  travelling  shooting  gallery 
or  merry-go-round,  and  much  singing  and  dancing  to 
the  accompaniment  of  the  accordion  and  "  balalaika." 
The  Moujik  is  passionately  fond  of  music,  especially  of 
a  mournful  description,  for  even  his  merriest  choruses 
have  a  strain  of  sadness,  and  the  famous  peasant  song 
"  Matushka- Volga,"  which  is  sung  from  the  Baltic  to 
the  Polar  Sea,  is  as  melancholy  as  a  funeral  dirge. 
Many  of  the  women  have  clear,  musical  voices,  and  in 
the  "  khorovod,"  or  "  dancing  choir,"  form  a  ring 
around  the  prettiest  girl  in  the  village,  and  dance 
around  her  while  each  one  sings  an  impromptu  verse 
generally  descriptive  of  marital  infidelity,  illicit  love, 
or  that  universal  object  of  fun  and  derision  :  The 
Mother-in-Law  !  But  gaiety  never  lingers  long  in 
either  the  Moujik' s  mind  or  melodies,  and  when  sunset 
has  deepened  into  dusk  the  villagers,  young  and  old, 
always  assemble  before  retiring,  to  join  in  some  simple 
hymn  of  the  Greek  Church,  or  one  of  the  old  Russian 
folk-songs  so  typical  of  the  great  and  gloomy  land 
which  gave  them  birth.  And  when  night  has  fallen, 
and  lights  begin  to  glimmer  from  cottage  casements, 
the  watchman  goes  his  round,  beating,  at  brief  intervals, 
a  wooden  clapper  (which  has  often  kept  me  awake  all 
night),  to  recall  belated  lovers  to  their  homes  and  warn 
evil-doers  of  his  presence.  But  there  is  little  need  for 
this  precaution,  for  crime  is  very  rare  in  Russian  rural 
districts,  which  in  this  respect  compare  very  favour- 
ably with  some  of  our  Welsh  counties.  Conjugal  murder 
by  poisoning,  generally  by  the  wife,  is  the  most  frequent 
penal  offence  (because  divorce  is  almost  unattain- 
able), and  also  arson,  which  when  committed  out  of 
revenge,  is  known  as  "  letting  loose  the  Red  Cock."  But 
forgery,  theft,  and  embezzlement  are  very  uncommon, 
for  the  Moujik  has  a  rigid  code  of  honour  regarding  his 
neighbour's  property,  which  he  generally  regards  as 
sacred. 

On  the  other  hand,  morality  in  most  Russian  villages 
is  rather  lax,  a  fact  which  must  be  partly  ascribed  to 


MY   FRIEND   THE   MOUJIK  45 

cramped  and  insanitary  housing  conditions,  where  men, 
women  and  children  are  so  promiscuously  herded  to- 
gether that  it  is  impossible  to  conform  to  even  the 
common  decencies  of  life.  For  instance,  the  writer 
once  stayed  in  a  cottage  in  Little  Russia  where  sixteen 
people  of  both  sexes,  whose  ages  ranged  from  eight 
years  to  threescore,  nightly  occupied  a  space  measuring 
only  eighteen  feet  by  fifteen,  and  where  five  women 
and  four  of  the  men  were  between  twenty  and  thirty 
years  of  age,  and  not  even  relatives.  This  was,  of 
course,  an  exceptional  case,  as  in  most  districts  men 
and  women  sleep  apart,  although  even  this  restriction 
is  comparatively  useless  in  places  where  the  sexes  con- 
stantly bathe  together  in  a  state  of  nudity.  But  the 
Moujik  has  only  a  vague  notion  of  right  and  wrong 
regarding  sex  relations,  and  so  long  as  his  wife  remains 
faithful,  is  generally  indifferent  as  to  the  doings  of  his 
other  female  relatives.  This  state  of  immorality  prob- 
ably arises  less  from  vicious  inclinations  than  ignorance, 
while  at  present  the  Russian  peasants'  mode  of  life 
is  certainly  not  calculated  to  engender  either  delicacy 
of  feeling  or  purity  of  mind.  Both  men  and  women 
marry  very  young,  but  generally  less  from  love  than 
mercenary  motives,  and  large  families  are  the  rule, 
although  more  than  a  third  of  the  children  die  under 
five  years  old. 

These  people  have  one  remarkable  characteristic 
which  is  perhaps  chiefly  due  to  severe  physical  training 
and  a  simple  life :  indifference  to  physical  pain.  I 
have  seen  them  submit  to  the  extraction  of  several 
teeth  at  a  sitting  without  wincing,  and  their  aversion 
to  a  surgical  operation  is  caused  less  by  fear  of  the 
knife  than  superstition,  for  amputation,  they  aver, 
would  entail  their  entering  Paradise  in  a  mutilated 
condition !  I  recollect  on  one  occasion  cutting  my 
hand  rather  severely,  and  my  village  host  at  once 
attempted  to  apply  boiling  tar  to  the  wound,  which, 
he  informed  me,  was  his  usual  custom  !  The  Russian 
peasant,  moreover,  regards  death  almost  as  callously 
as  the  Chinaman,  an  indifference  which  is  shared  by 
most  of  the  Russian  lower  orders.  Thus  Mr.  G.  Brandes 
relates  that  during  the  Crimean  War  a  wounded  Cossack 


46  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW   IT 

was  dragging  himself  painfully  along  after  his  "  sotnia,"  1 
and  his  comrades,  seeing  there  was  no  hope  of  his  re- 
covery, offered  to  bury  him  and  so  put  an  end  to  his 
sufferings.  The  wounded  man  at  once  agreed,  and  a 
grave  was  hastily  dug,  in  which  he  calmly  laid  himself 
down  to  be  buried  alive.  His  colonel,  on  hearing  of 
the  incident,  was  naturally  horrified,  remarking  :  "  But 
the  poor  fellow  must  have  suffered  intolerable  tor- 
ture !  "  "  Nitchevo  !  "  ("  Never  mind  !  ")  was  the  re- 
ply; "we  stamped  the  earth  down  quickly  with  our 
feet  !  "  Yet  these  men  had  acted  solely  out  of  kindness 
and  sympathy,  and  were  so  eager  to  release  their  friend 
from  further  pain  that  they  entirely  overlooked  the 
mental  and  physical  agony  which  must  have  preceded 
his  end.2 

Although  death  has  generally  no  terrors  for  the 
Moujik,  he  is  morbidly  superstitious,  and  delights  in 
legends  concerning  ghosts  and  fairies,  which  are  generally 
of  a  blood-curdling  description.  Even  babies  chuckle 
when  told  of  a  gigantic  witch  with  nose  and  teeth  of 
iron,  whose  forest  dwelling  is  fenced  in  with  human 
skulls,  and  whose  powers  of  working  evil  are  unbounded. 
The  peasants  are  also  great  believers  in  spirits  and 
spells,  and  when  sick  will  often  place  more  faith  in 
witch-doctors  than  medical  practitioners.  Many  of 
these  village  sorcerers  make  a  good  income  out  of 
herbal  treatment  and  incantations,  though  the  penalty 
for  such  unorthodox  practices  is  a  long  term  of  im- 
prisonment. 

In  summer  the  Moujik  works  sixteen  hours  of  the 
twenty-four,  and  will  often  prefer  to  sleep  in  the  open 
all  night  rather  than  lose  an  hour  of  daylight  during 
haymaking  or  the  harvest.  In  winter,  when  no  work 
can  be  done  on  the  land,  he  hibernates  like  a  dormouse, 
although  neither  he  nor  his  women  are  idle  during  those 
dreary  months  of  semi-darkness.  For  Russian  village 
industries  in  winter -time  are  now  yearly  growing  in 
importance,  every  district  manufacturing  its  special 
class  of  goods.  The  villages  along  the  Volga  river  turn 
out  sheepskin  coats  and  Oriental  slippers,  those  of  Central 

1  A  military  Cossack  term  signifying  125  men. 

2  Impressions  of  Russia,  by  G.  Brandes. 


MY  FRIEND   THE   MOUJIK  47 

Russia  dainty  embroideries,  silver  ornaments  and 
cutlery,  and  so  on.  Of  late  years  special  attention  has 
been  devoted  to  the  construction  of  wooden  toys,  such 
as  were  made  in  Germany,  and  the  war  will  surely 
stimulate  keener  competition  in  this  branch  of  in- 
dustry. The  "  koustar  "  (as  these  winter  workers  are 
called)  are  encouraged  by  the  State  not  only  because 
the  villagers  are  thus  usefully  engaged  when  the  devil 
might  otherwise  find  them  employment,  but  also  be- 
cause their  labours  are  a  yearly  increasing  source  of 
profit  to  the  Government.  Some  of  the  work  is  really 
beautiful,  notably  lacquer,  lace,  and  the  exquisite 
Russian  embroideries,  which  may  now  be  purchased 
in  England;  while  agricultural  implements,  watches, 
silver  ornaments,  samovars,  "  ikons  "  and  innumerable 
other  useful  and  ornamental  articles  are  also  manu- 
factured to  find  a  ready  sale  in  the  towns,  partly  because 
of  their  admirable  workmanship,  and  partly  because 
purchasers  feel  that  they  are  assisting  in  a  useful  and 
philanthropic  scheme.  "  Koustar  "  work  is,  of  course, 
strictly  restricted  to  the  winter-time,  for  in  summer 
there  is  too  much  to  be  done  on  the  land. 

As  an  impartial  observer,  for  some  years  past,  of 
the  Moujik  and  his  methods,  I  can  only  liken  him  to  a 
giant  with  a  baby's  brain  (the  pathetic  result  of  ages 
of  mental  stagnation)  who  is  only  just  beginning  to 
realize  his  national  importance,  which  is,  to  say  the 
least,  considerable,  seeing  that  he  represents  ninety  per 
cent,  of  the  entire  population.  And  as  time  goes  on, 
and  the  peasant  becomes  imbued,  by  better  education, 
with  more  progressive  views,  he  will  certainly  no  longer 
recognize  the  counsel  and  authority  of  those  ubiquitous 
tyrants,  the  village  "  pope "  and  rapacious  "  tchi- 
novnik."  The  change  may  be  gradual,  although  it  is 
now  clearly  realized  that  the  day  is  not  far  distant 
when  the  country  will  have  to  rely  mainly  upon  the  loyalty 
and  support  of  the  agricultural  classes.  And  a  prominent 
Russian  official  whom  I  recently  met  declared  that 
in  his  opinion  (which  was  shared  by  many  of  his  dis- 
tinguished colleagues)  the  trade,  industries,  and  inter- 
national commerce  of  Russia  would,  after  this  war, 
attain  such  vast  proportions  that  one  result  of  the 


48  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

increase  would  be  the  formation  of  a  powerful  middle 
class,  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  nation. 
But  any  revolutionary  element  (my  friend  added) 
introduced  by  these  altered  conditions  would  in  no 
way  affect  autocratic  rule,  for  the  backbone  of  the 
Russian  nation  (as  he  styled  the  "  Moujiks  ")  would 
certainly  never  tolerate  any  other  form  of  Government, 
as  has  been  clearly  shown,  of  recent  years,  by  a  per- 
sistent but  generally  fruitless  Socialist  "  propaganda." 
I  heav  frequently  heard  in  village  traktirs  the  Moujik 
express  political  views  in  an  open  and  aggressive  manner 
which  would  have  ensured  arrest  in  any  town,  but  the 
"  tchinovnik,"  when  present,  never  interfered,  being 
too  well  aware  that  the  Tsar's  most  staunch  and  de- 
voted subjects  are  numbered  amongst  these  sons  of 
the  soil.  For  if  it  is  now  common  knowledge  that, 
just  before  the  outbreak  of  hostilities,  Russia  was  on 
the  point  of  a  revolutionary  outbreak,  it  is  equally 
certain  that  all  classes  are  now  firmly  united  against 
the  common  foe,  even  political  terrorists  in  the  depths 
of  Siberia  having  petitioned  the  Emperor  to  be  allowed 
to  return  to  Europe  and  fight  for  him. 

Dr.  Charles  Sarolea,  in  his  recent  work,  Europe's 
Debt  to  Russia,  thus  testifies  to  the  Moujik' s  unswerving 
allegiance  to  the  crown  :  "  Loyalty,"  he  writes,  "  has 
been  for  generations  a  religious  tradition,  and  almost 
an  instinct  with  the  Russian  peasantry,  and  such  in- 
stincts have  a  very  tough  life  in  them,  especially  in  a 
slow,  patient,  passive  being  like  the  Moujik.  After  the 
disaster  to  the  Russian  fleet  in  1905,  I  visited  many 
villages  in  every  part  of  the  empire.  The  image  of  the 
Tsar  was  still  hanging  in  every  '  izba  '  with  the  ikons 
of  the  saints.  The  peasants  remember  the  broad  fact 
that  Tsardom  has  ever  been  on  their  side,  and 
that  they  are  indebted  for  their  freedom  to  the  Tsar 
Liberator." 

When  peace  is  declared,  the  peasantry  will  probably 
enjoy  even  greater  prosperity  than  before  the  war, 
for  years  must  elapse  before  Russia  can  sufficiently 
develop  her  mineral  resources  to  compete  with  other 
nations  as  a  manufacturing  centre.  Meanwhile,  she 
will  have  to  rely  chiefly  upon  agriculture,  which  has 


MY  FRIEND   THE   MOUJIK  49 

already  rendered   her   a   formidable   rival   as  a  grain- 
producing  country  to  Canada  and  the  United  States.1 

I  have  endeavoured  in  this  chapter  to  show  that 
the  Moujiks  are  a  simple  and  lovable  people,  destined 
by  their  already  overwhelming,  yet  yearly  increasing, 
numbers  to  play  in  the  near  future  an  important  part 
not  only  in  the  agricultural,  but  also  political  develop- 
ment of  Russia.  For  although  the  peasant  was,  but 
a  few  years  ago,  compelled  to  cringe  before  his  supe- 
rior, he  has  now  acquired  a  sense  of  personal  dignity 
which  would  certainly  resent  any  infringement  of  his 
recently  acquired  rights;  while,  like  most  growing 
children,  he  now  despises  conditions  of  life  with  which 
he  was  formerly  quite  content.  The  Moujik  is  no 
longer,  so  to  speak,  satisfied  with  an  accordion  but 
must  now  possess  a  gramophone — indeed,  may  soon 
require  an  electric  pianola;  and  these  growing  needs 
(which  arise  from  a  clearer  perception  of  his  growing 
importance)  now  apply  to  every  phase  of  his  daily 
existence. 

And  if  in  England  one  result  of  this  titanic  struggle 
may  be  to  promote  closer  relations  between  the  upper 
and  lower  classes,  in  Russia  the  steadily  increasing 
political  and  social  influence  of  the  peasantry  will  as 
surely  impel  the  latter  to  exact  greater  privileges  from 
the  State,  by  which,  only  sixty  years  ago,  they  were 
regarded  as  mere  machines,  whose  sole  mission  in  life 
was  to  accomplish  a  certain  amount  of  manual  labour. 
Everything  now  indicates  that,  when  Russia  has  re- 
covered from  the  effects  of  this  disastrous  war,  she  wrill, 
with  the  other  Allied  nations,  go  ahead  in  every  respect 
with  lightning  rapidity,  and  there  are  also  unmistak- 
able signs  that  the  Moujik  will  keep  pace  with  her. 

1  "  Were  the  Russian  fields  cultivated  as  are  those  of  Great  Britain, 
Russia  could  produce  enough  corn  to  feed  a  populace  of  500,000,000 
souls.  In  European  Russia  the  cultivated  land  is  only  21  per  cent, 
of  the  whole  area,  while  in  France  it  is  83  per  cent."  (Stepniak's  Russian 
Peasantry}. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  COSSACK IN  PEACE  AND  WAR 

THE  Cossack  is  usually  depicted,  in  England,  as  a 
picturesque  blackguard  of  predatory  instincts  whose 
sole  mission  in  life  is  to  harass  a  retreating  foe,  or  to 
convoy  and  occasionally  massacre  Siberian  exiles.  An 
English  novelist's  conception  of  this  type  is  therefore 
generally  a  pitiless  ruffian,  bestriding  a  rat-like  pony, 
which  gallops  like  the  wind  while  its  rider  performs 
prodigies  of  skill  with  a  slender  but  deadly  lance  and  his 
terrible  "  nagaika."  *•  Indeed,  according  to  British  ideas 
the  Cossack  apparently  does  nothing  else,  although  I 
have  found  him  (when  not  engaged  in  warfare)  a  homely, 
placid  individual,  as  devoted  to  home  life  and  rural 
pursuits  as  honest  John  Hodge  of  Wnts  or  Sussex. 
That  his  existence,  however,  has  two  distinct  phases  is 
indicated  by  the  fact  that  I  once  stayed,  in  a  remote 
village,  with  a  hospitable  peasant  who  wore  the  red 
shirt  and  "  caftan,"  was  idolized  by  his  family,  tilled 
the  land  by  day,  and  romped  with  the  children  at  night ; 
and  a  few  months  later  met  the  same  man  in  Warsaw 
during  a  political  disturbance  in  which  many  people 
were  slain  by  the  military  patrols.  And  at  first  I  entirely 
failed  to  recognize  my  once  domesticated  friend  in  the 
wild-eyed,  yelling  fiend  who  was  savagely  hacking  his 
way  through  a  crowd  of  helpless  men  and  women. 
Anyway,  this  sudden  and  evil  transformation  convinced 
me  that  Stevenson's  Dr.  Jekyll  and  Mr.  Hyde  present 
no  greater  contrast  than  this  strange  and  complex 
Russian  character  in  peace  and  war. 

The  Cossacks  (the  word  was  formerly  Turkish)  have 
a  somewhat  mysterious  origin,  but  they  probably  date 
from  the  fifteenth  century,  when  in  the  vicinity  of  the 

1  A  short-handled  whip,  with  a  heavy,  tapering  lash,  somewhat 
resembling  the  "  knout, n  which  is  carried  by  every  Cossack. 

50 


THE   COSSACK  51 

River  Dnieper  a  number  of  settlements  were  formed  by 
Russian  refugees  driven  out  of  their  homes  in  more 
southern  regions  by  Turkish  and  Tartar  hordes.  Thou- 
sands of  the  former  therefore  took  refuge  in  the  "  Zapo- 
rosjie-Setch,"  x  as  the  place  was  called,  and  amongst 
them  many  renegades  and  vagrants  who  gradually 
established  powerful  robber  communities.  And  the 
district  became,  in  time,  so  thickly  populated  that  a 
kind  of  republic  was  founded  composed  not  only  of 
industrious  labourers  and  workmen,  but  also  of  men 
skilled  in  the  use  of  arms,  the  latter  being  so  numerous 
that  the  Governors  of  southern  Russian  provinces 
eagerly  sought  their  services,  in  case  of  need.  Thus  it 
came  to  pass  that  all  men  of  a  fighting  age  in  the  "  zapo- 
rosjie  "  were  finally  enrolled  as  soldiers  of  the  Tsar,  whom 
their  descendants  are  serving  at  the  present  day.  It  is 
interesting  to  note  that,  even  in  those  mediaeval  times, 
these  people  could  be,  one  day,  peaceful  husbandmen, 
and  bloodthirsty  warriors  the  next. 

A  Cossack  is,  while  on  active  service,  subject  to 
the  same  military  rules  and  penalties  as  an  ordinary 
soldier,  he  swears  allegiance  to  only  one  supreme 
leader,  the  Tsarevitch,  who  from  time  immemorial  has 
been  his  "  ataman  "  or  chief,  and  he  therefore  cherishes 
feelings  not  only  of  loyalty  and  devotion,  but  also  of 
warm  personal  affection  for  the  heir  apparent  whom 
in  most  cases  he  has  never  even  beheld  in  the  flesh  ! 
and  his  dwelling  is  therefore  easily  recognized,  for  it 
invariably  contains  a  portrait  of  His  Imperial  Highness, 
as  well  as  those  of  the  Tsar  and  Tsarina,  and  generally 
also  one  of  the  late  General  Skobeleff ,  who  was  a  staunch 
friend  of  the  Cossacks,  for  whose  fighting  capabilities 
he  had  a  profound  admiration.  Had  the  "  White 
General  "  2  lived  (he  is  said  to  have  been  poisoned  by  an 
attractive  Berlin  adventuress  in  the  Moscow  "  Hermi- 
tage ")  he  would  certainly  have  figured  as  a  prominent 
leader  in  the  present  war,  and  Russia  undoubtedly 
sustained  an  irreparable  loss  by  his  untimely  end. 

The   Cossacks   now   number   over   three   millions   in 

1  "  Setch  n  signifies  a  fortified  settlement. 

2  General  Skobeleff  was  so  called  as  he  invariably  rode  a  white  horse 
in  action — in  order  to  render  himself  more  conspicuous  to  the  enemy. 


52  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

all,  and  they  are  known  throughout  the  empire  as 
"  Otchainy,"  a  term  signifying  one  of  reckless  or  "  dare- 
devil "  qualities.  Military  service  is  in  their  case 
compulsory  for  a  period  of  twenty  years  from  the  age  of 
eighteen,  twelve  years  of  which  are  passed  with  the 
colours,  and  the  rest  in  the  reserve.  And  this  is  prob- 
ably the  cheapest  force  in  the  world  to  maintain,  for 
a  man  provides  his  own  horse  and  everything  in  the  shape 
of  uniform  and  equipment,  only  receiving  a  rifle  from  the 
Government.  But  they  are  thrifty,  industrious  people, 
many  of  whom  grow  wealthy,  and  are  well  able  to  afford 
the  outlay,  which  in  any  case  would  be  cheerfully  ex- 
pended; while  the  State  grants  them  certain  special 
privileges  in  return  for  their  military  services.  The 
officers  are  not  all  of  Cossack  birth,  for  many  are  trans- 
ferred from  the  regular  army,  the  colonel  of  some  crack 
cavalry  corps  being  generally  appointed  to  command  the 
Cossacks  of  the  Guard — who  always  accompany  the 
Emperor  on  State  occasions.  And  a  most  impressive 
sight  is  that  of  His  Majesty  driving  through  the  streets 
of  the  capital  surrounded  by  an  escort  of  this  famous 
regiment,  clattering  by  on  their  compact,  blood-like  horses 
under  a  moving  forest  of  spears.  The  uniform  is  a  dark 
single-breasted  garment  reaching  to  the  ankles,  tightly 
secured  at  the  waist,  and  adorned  across  the  chest  with 
a  row  of  silver  cartridge-belts,  with  olive-green  or  crim- 
son breeches  and  a  tall  sheepskin  bonnet.  The  officers 
wear  side-arms  adorned  with  valuable  jewels,  while 
every  man  carries  a  cavalry  sabre  and  brace  of  pistols, 
a  lance,  and  the  formidable  "  nagaika." 

The  Cossacks  differ  essentially  from  the  ordinary 
Russian  peasantry,  to  whom  they  regard  themselves 
as  greatly  superior  not  only  by  reason  of  their  ancient 
and  distinguished  lineage,  but  also  of  the  valuable  services 
which  they  have,  for  many  centuries,  rendered  to  the 
State.  For  although  those  who,  in  olden  days,  were 
first  employed  by  Russia  in  the  Turkish  and  Polish  wars, 
were  lawless  marauders,  yet  even  they  possessed  a 
strain  of  chivalry  which  raised  them  far  above  the  level 
of  sordid  thieves  and  cut-throats.  Yermak,  the  con- 
queror of  Siberia,1  was  a  case  in  point — and  the  granting 
1  See  chap.  xi. 


THE   COSSACK  53 

to  his  tribesmen  of  special  favours  was  only  one  result 
of  his  glorious  achievements.  Thus,  the  Cossacks 
are  the  only  people  in  Russia  permitted  to  observe 
certain  laws  of  their  own,  which  are  framed  by  the 
chiefs  of  the  various  "voiskos"  (or  Cossack  districts), 
of  which  the  most  important  are  those  of  the  Don, 
Astrakhan,  Ural  and  Amur  in  Eastern  Siberia.  They 
have  also  a  central  administrative  department  at  the 
Ministry  of  War  in  Petrograd,  to  which  a  delegate  1  is 
appointed  by  each  "  voisko,"  which  is  also  responsible 
for  the  proper  maintenance  of  education.  And  the 
latter  is  so  well  conducted  that,  at  the  present  day,  there 
are  very  few  Cossack  children  of  either  sex  who  cannot 
read  and  write.  Cossack  women  are  also  superior  to  those 
of  the  moujik  class,  not  only  as  regards  intelligence  and 
morals,  but  also  in  their  personal  appearance,  indeed  I 
have  seen  some  who  were  strikingly  beautiful.  Their 
chief  failing  is  incorrigible  laziness,  wherefore  a  Cossack 
home  is  never  as  clean  or  comfortable  as  a  moujik's 
dwelling,  which  is  itself  seldom  a  model  in  this  respect ! 

Although  I  have  met  Cossacks  in  all  parts  of  Russia, 
I  am  best  acquainted  with  those  of  the  Amur  (in 
Siberia),  who  have  specially  distinguished  themselves  in 
the  present  war,  and  with  whom  I  have  occasionally 
stayed  in  peaceful  villages  situated  on  the  banks  of  the 
great  river  which  flows  from  Lake  Baikal  to  the  North 
Pacific  Ocean.  And  I  found  them  excellent  farmers, 
although  less  concerned  about  the  care  and  cultivation 
of  their  land  than  the  condition  of  their  horses,  which, 
in  Siberia,  are  of  a  peculiarly  hardy  and  useful  stamp.2 

A  Cossack  village  (which  is  called  a  "  stanitza ") 
has  a  characteristic  military  air  which  renders  it  unlike 
any  other,  for  even  when  in  the  bosom  of  his  family 
the  Cossack  calls  it  "  being  on  leave,"  and  never 
entirely  neglects  his  military  duties,  or  even  regimental 

1  "  In  the  autumn  of  1914  Russia  had  328,705  Cossacks  mobilized, 
and  seven-tenths  of  them  were  concentrated   on   the   German  and 
Austro-Hungarian  frontiers  and  met  the  first  columns  of  the  hostile 
force.     Together  with  all  the  1st,  2nd  and  3rd  Reserves  Russia  is  able 
to  put  in  the  field  not  less  than  about  1,000,000  Cossacks"  (Russia  in 
Arms,  by  Lieut.-Col.  Roustam-Bek). 

2  A  Cossack  officer,  Nikolai  Pieskoff,  once  rode  the  entire  distance 
from  Manchuria  to  the  Baltic  (6000  miles)  on  a  small  Siberian  pony. 


54  RUSSIA  AS  I  KNOW  IT 

dress,  generally  wearing  a  pair  of  striped  overalls.  Both 
uniform  and  accoutrements  are  kept  ready  to  put  on  at 
a  moment's  notice,  which  accounts  for  the  marvellous 
rapidity  with  which  this  force  was  mobilized  in  the 
autumn  of  1914.  Even  little  children  in  a  "  stanitza  " 
wear  old  striped  breeches  discarded  by  their  parents, 
and  are  put  on  a  horse  and  left  to  their  own  devices 
almost  before  they  can  walk  ! 

A  Cossack  generally  owns  two  or  three  horses,  which  are 
kept  in  the  pink  of  condition,  and  have  as  much  attention 
lavished  upon  their  feeds,  grooming  and  exercise  as 
though  they  were  in  the  ranks ;  while  as  they  seldom 
exceed  fifteen  hands,  they  are  better  adapted  for  getting 
over  rough  and  difficult  ground  than  animals  of  larger 
build.  The  Cossack  loves  his  horse  as  dearly  as  his 
wrife  and  children ;  in  fact,  it  is  practically  regarded  as  a 
member  of  the  family,  which  perhaps  accounts  for  its 
marvellous  sagacity  when  on  campaign.  I  once  stayed 
in  the  Ukraine  with  a  farmer  who  remained  all  night  in 
his  stable  to  tend  a  mare  with  the  gripes,  while  his  child 
lay  dying  indoors ;  yet  this  was  not  from  any  lack  of 
fatherly  affection,  but  merely  because  the  horse  is  the 
one  object  on  earth  which  inspires  these  people  (like 
the  Arabs)  with  an  intense  and  absorbing  passion, 
indeed  it  is  part  and  parcel  of  their  very  existence. 
And  I  could  cite  many  instances  of  when,  in  the  deserts 
of  Central  Asia,  Cossacks  have  given  their  last  drop  of 
water  and  mouthful  of  bread  to  sustain  the  life  of  an 
equine  friend  while  they  themselves  have  perished. 

Colonel  Roustam-Bek  (who  formerly  commanded  a 
Cossack  regiment)  relates  the  following  anecdote, l  which 
proves  that  the  Cossack  is  not  only  a  lover  of  animals, 
but,  when  occasion  demands,  an  accomplished  thief ! 
"  I  remember  once,"  he  writes,  "  during  the  Pamir 
Expedition,  our  '  sotnia  '  penetrated  into  a  valley  of 
the  Trans-Alai  Mountains  through  the  Ak-Baital  Pass. 
There  was  no  grass  at  all,  and  we  were  short  of  barley, 
which  was  the  only  food  for  our  horses.  The  officers 
had  succeeded  in  keeping  some  sacks  of  this  precious 
grain,  and,  in  order  that  it  should  not  vanish,  we  put 
these  sacks  at  night  under  our  pillows.  The  men  were 
1  Russia  in  Arms,  by  Lieut. -Col.  Roustam-Bek- 


THE   COSSACK  55 

very  grieved  that  their  horses  were  in  a  state  of  semi- 
starvation,  and  how  they  managed  it  I  have  never  under- 
stood ;  but  a  great  part  of  the  barley  belonging  to  their 
officers  disappeared  every  night,  and  it  was  impossible 
to  find  the  thief  !  " 

When  a  Cossack  is  mobilized  his  mount  is  put  through 
the  severest  physical  tests  before  being  finally  passed 
for  service.  It  must,  for  instance,  be  able  to  cover 
fifty  miles  a  day — for  a  month  on  end — without  showing 
signs  of  distress,  and  when  its  owner  is  called  up  is 
often  ridden  an  enormous  distance,  to  join  its  unit  at 
the  nearest  railway  station.  It  must  also  be  able  to  swim 
like  a  duck,  having  on  several  occasions  had  to  cross 
broad,  rapid  rivers  like  the  Pruth  and  Dniester  during 
the  present  war. 

Although  well  acquainted  with  the  wild  American 
West,  I  have  never  in  my  life  seen  such  horsemen 
as  the  Amur  Cossacks,  although  I  believe  the  latter  are 
even  considered  inferior  in  this  respect  to  those  of  the 
Don  and  Ukraine.  And  their  horses  are  equally  wonder- 
ful, for  the  two  ponies  belonging  to  Ivan,  my  host  on  the 
Amur,  would  lie  down,  rear  up  on  end,  or  go  down  on 
their  knees  at  word  of  command  like  trained  "  artistes  " 
in  a  circus.  They  would  also  stop  at  full  gallop  (with 
a  suddenness  that  would  have  sent  an  unskilled  rider 
flying),  and  lie  down  motionless  as  if  shot,  for  the 
Cossack,  in  action,  takes  cover  behind  his  mount.  My 
friend's  work  on  horseback  with  the  lance  was  marvel- 
lous to  behold,  for,  while  going  at  full  speed,  he  would 
impale  a  chicken  or  pig  with  equal  dexterity,  pick  up 
a  bit  of  paper,  or  lie  under  his  horse's  belly  at  full  gallop — 
a  favourite  device,  so  that  the  enemy  may  think  that 
only  riderless  steeds  are  stampeding  towards  them. 
Ivan  would  also  drop  the  reins,  and  his  pony  would 
turn  to  the  right  hand  or  left,  or  even  turn  completely 
round  by  word  of  mouth.  I  never  witnessed  the 
"  Djigitovka  "  in  which  even  these  clever  feats  would 
be  regarded  as  child's  play,  and  which  so  excited  the 
Kaiser's  admiration  that  he  endeavoured  to  introduce 
it  in  the  German  Army,  with  lamentably  futile  results  ! 
My  host,  in  addition  to  his  equestrian  skill  was  also  a 
marvellous  marksman,  as  are  most  of  the  Cossacks, 


56  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW   IT 

whose  ranks  contain  some  of  the  best  shots  in  the  army, 
and  he  was  also  as  quick  as  a  Mexican  cowboy  with  the 
lassoo,  which  is  used  when  pursuing  an  enemy. 

The  Cossacks  have  many  peculiar  and  unique  methods 
of  warfare,  which  although  handed  down  from  their 
ancestors,  are  no  less  startling  and  successful  when 
practised  against  modern  troops.  One  of  these  is  the 
mode  of  attack  known  as  the  "  Lava,"  which  Colonel 
Roustam-Bek  so  graphically  describes  in  his  interesting 
work,  Russia  in  Arms,  that  I  may  perhaps  venture  to 
retail,  for  the  second  time,  this  distinguished  Cossack 
officer's  remarks  for  the  benefit  of  the  reader. 

"  The  most  interesting  tactical  exercise  of  the  Cos- 
sacks "  (writes  the  Colonel)  "  is  their  celebrated  '  Lava.' 
Everybody  knows  the  word  '  lava '  as  applied  to  the 
liquid  products  of  volcanic  activity,  but  I  think  it  is  not 
known  in  England  that  the  same  word  has  been  applied 
for  centuries  to  a  special  form  of  attack  employed  by  the 
Russian  Cossacks.  I  have  not  been  able  to  find  any 
description  of  this  use  of  the  word  in  English.  Germans 
and  Austrians,  however,  know  it,  and  have  many  times 
tried  to  introduce  it  in  their  army,  but  without  success, 
their  men  and  horses  lacking  the  necessary  smartness. 
Cossack  horses  are  specially  trained  for  this  attack  and 
do  not  need  to  be  guided  by  hand  or  knee;  they  know 
what  they  have  to  do  after  the  leader  has  cried  '  Lava  !  ' 
so  both  hands  of  the  Cossack  are  free  for  fighting. 

"  When  news  is  received  that  a  detachment  of  cavalry 
is  approaching  or  ready  to  attack,  an  order  to  be  ready 
for  '  lava  '  is  given  by  the  commander.  The  leading 
6  sotnia  '  (squadron)  spreads  out  to  right  and  left,  and 
the  others  at  full  speed  form  up  on  either  side  of  it  in  a 
semicircle  or  half-moon.  Every  man  with  a  lance  is 
attended  by  a  man  wearing  a  '  shashka ' — the  Cossack 
sword — and  all  the  officers,  with  the  colonel  at  the  head, 
are  in  front  of  the  men  of  each  '  sotnia.' 

"  The  other  4  sotnias  '  in  the  neighbourhood  do  not 
wait  for  a  special  order,  and  at  once  take  up  the  same 
formation,  endeavouring  to  surround  the  attacking 
force  from  another  side.  With  loud  shouts  and  cries 
the  Cossacks  rush  down  on  their  enemies,  and  even  if 
this  first  assault  is  repulsed,  another  '  lava '  pours 


THE   COSSACK  57 

down  on  the  shaken  enemy,  and  very  often  surprises 
them  in  the  rear.  In  the  present  day  the  Cossacks, 
besides  lances  and  swords,  also  use  hand-grenades,  which, 
if  they  do  not  cause  very  serious  injuries,  serve  to 
demoralize  both  horses  and  men.  A  special  reserve 
of  '  lavas '  follows  the  attacking  force  of  '  sotnias ' 
and  picks  up  the  wounded,  and  usually  collects  the 
ammunition  and  horses  of  the  beaten  enemy. 

"  The  Japanese  faced  this  terrible  attack  only  once, 
and  after  that  never  stopped  to  meet  it.  In  the  present 
war  the  '  lava  '  has  been  used  very  often  and  with  the 
greatest  success,  especially  in  Poland,  for  the  heavy 
German  cavalry  was  never  able  to  open  its  front  quickly 
enough  to  meet  the  sudden  '  lava  '  of  the  Cossacks." 

I  may  add  that  the  author  of  the  above  (one  of  the 
ablest  military  critics  in  Europe)  is  of  opinion  that  the 
Russian  cavalry  is  far  superior  to  the  German,  and  even 
better  than  the  Austrian,  which  is  more  efficient  than 
that  of  its  ally.  Colonel  Roustam-Bek  does  not,  how- 
ever, compare  the  Cossacks  with  any  of  these,  for  they, 
he  declares,  are  matchless  ! 

I  was  once  the  guest  of  a  Cossack  regiment  quartered 
in  a  small  town  in  the  Caucasus,  my  host  being 
Prince  Z.,  whom  I  had  met  in  Paris,  where  he  always 
spent  his  leave,  and  with  which  he  was  as  well  acquainted 
as  with  his  native  Circassian  mountains.  The  regiment 
was  in  barracks,  which  enabled  me  the  more  closely  to 
observe  the  men  while  on  service,  and  I  noted  that, 
although  their  officers  treated  them  on  friendly,  and 
occasionally  even  familiar  terms,  this  in  no  way  ap- 
peared to  detract  from  the  severe  discipline  which 
prevailed.  But,  as  my  friend  Z.  remarked,  "  Make  pals 
of  your  men  and  they  will  follow  you  to  the  Devil !  " 

I  never  met  a  pleasanter  set  of  fellows  than  the  officers 
at  T.,  for  most  of  them  had  visited  Europe  and  even 
America,  either  to  study  various  military  methods 
or  on  pleasure  bent,  and  they  had  in  either  case  appar- 
ently lost  no  time !  Champagne  flowed  like  water 
every  evening  (this  was  ten  years  ago),  and  one  night 
a  concert  and  dance  were  organized  in  the  barrack-yard 
with  a  score  of  privates  as  performers.  Every  Cossack 
is  a  born  dancer,  and  the  merry  tinkle  of  a  "  balalaika  " 


58  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW  IT 

band  eventually  proved  too  much  for  the  colonel 
(a  grey-haired  veteran  of  over  six  feet),  who  suddenly 
rose  from  his  seat,  hurriedly  left  the  messroom,  and  the 
next  moment  was  wildly  "  pirouetting "  amongst  his 
men  with,  notwithstanding  a  flowing  robe  and  spurs, 
the  grace  and  agility  of  a  ballet-girl.  Imagine  a  staid 
British  field-officer  under  similar  circumstances  !  yet 
this  and  other  outward  signs  of  equality  only  serve  to 
cement  good  feeling  between  all  ranks  here,  although 
such  laxity  could  scarcely  exist  elsewhere  without 
deleterious  effects.  Anyhow  I  left  T.  less  under  the 
impression  that  I  had  been  entertained  by  a  cavalry 
regiment  than  by  a  happy  and  united  family  !  And, 
by  the  way,  my  hosts  had  a  curious  custom  which  was 
then  new  to  me,  but  which  I  have  since  observed  amongst 
Russians  of  the  upper  class.  Nearly  every  man's  gold 
cigarette-case  had  various  little  ornaments  sunk  into  its 
surface  in  the  shape  of  a  crest  or  monogram,  single 
sleeve-link,  stud,  coin,  or  other  object  which  had  been 
presented  to  the  owner  by  intimate  friends,  and  as 
these  souvenirs  were  mostly  composed  of  diamonds 
and  other  jewels,  the  effect  was  rather  novel  and 
attractive. 

I  have  never  been  fortunate  enough  to  witness  Cossacks 
engaged  in  actual  warfare  (for  the  Warsaw  episode  was 
merely  a  street-riot),  but  I  had  reason,  on  one  memorable 
occasion,  to  appreciate  the  courage  and  resource  which 
they  invariably  display  at  times  of  imminent  peril. 
This  occurred  during  my  land-voyage  from  Paris  to 
New  York,  when  Stepan  Rastorguyeff  (a  Siberian  Cos- 
sack) was  lent  to  me  by  the  Russian  Government  at 
Yakutsk  to  accompany  me  for  the  remainder  of  that 
hazardous  and  hitherto  unattempted  journey.1 

I  will  not  weary  the  reader  with  a  description  of  the 
difficulties  overcome  before  a  serious  disaster  overtook 
us  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Tchaun  Bay,  on  the  frozen 
shores  of  the  Arctic  Ocean.  To  reach  this  we  had 
travelled  for  over  three  weeks  from  the  Kolyma  river, 
and  had  here  hoped  to  find  natives  and  some  food,  for 
we  were  by  this  time  reduced  to  fourteen  frozen  fish  for 
nine  men  and  sixty  ravenous  dogs.  But  we  vainly 
1  See  Paris  to  New  York  by  Land,  by  the  author. 


THE  COSSACK:  "STEPAN 


THE   COSSACK  59 

searched  that  pitiless  waste  of  ice  for  any  signs  of  human 
life,  well  knowing  that  to  stop  meant  death  from  cold 
and  starvation,  so  we  struggled  slowly  and  painfully 
onwards,  growing  weaker  hour  by  hour.  And,  during 
that  long  day  of  agony,  I  and  the  others,  overpowered 
by  drowsiness  and  despair,  lay  down  more  than  once  in 
the  snow,  from  which  we  might  never  have  risen  had  it 
not  been  for  Stepan,  whose  spirits  never  flagged  for  a 
moment  as  he  trudged  doggedly  on  with  the  indomitable 
pluck  and  tenacity  of  his  warlike  race.  And  it  was 
solely  owing  to  this  brave  fellow  that  on  that  very  night, 
when  things  appeared  to  be  on  the  verge  of  a  fatal  crisis, 
we  sighted  our  longed-for  goal — two  miserable  walrus- 
hide  huts: — which,  however,  meant  deliverance  from  a 
lingering  and  painful  death.  And  I  can  safely  assert, 
as  leader  of  the  Expedition,  that  I  and  every  member 
of  it  must  that  day  have  perished  had  it  not  been 
for  my  Cossack  friend's  invaluable  encouragement  and 
aid. 

However  inhuman  and  rapacious  the  Cossacks  may 
have  been  in  the  past,  they  have  in  the  present  war 
not  only  fought  with  even  more  than  traditional  bravery, 
but  have  shown  a  tolerance  and  kindness  towards  their 
prisoners  which  the  latter  would  certainly  not  have 
displayed  under  reversed  conditions.1  And  more  than 
once,  when  Russia's  legions  have,  from  lack  of  munitions, 
been  pressed  back  by  overwhelming  forces,  the  Cossacks 
have  saved  the  situation,  not  only  as  skilful  scouts,  but 
resolute  opponents,  as  the  Austrians,  especially,  know 
to  their  cost.  I  recently  met  an  English  newspaper 
correspondent,  just  returned  to  London  from  the  Russian 
front,  who  told  me  that  he  had  one  day  conversed  in 
Galicia  with  an  Austrian  Colonel  of  the  "  Radetsky 
Hussars."  And  the  latter,  who  had  been  taken  prisoner, 

1  "  Sworn  evidence  of  the  cruelties  practised  by  German  prison 
guards  upon  Russian  prisoners  is  contained  in  the  latest  report  of  the 
Russian  Commission  of  Inquiry. 

"  Torture  by  the  drawing  of  nails,  cutting  of  tongues,  and  tearing 
of  ears  has  been  inflicted  upon  Russians  unwilling  to  betray  their 
comrades.  Men  have  been  burned  alive  for  the  sheer  amusement  of 
their  captors. 

"  This  has  been  sworn  to  by  many  prisoners  and  by  a  Russian  sister 
of  mercy"  (Daily  Mail,  September  22,  1916). 


60  RUSSIA  AS  I  KNOW  IT 

declared  to  my  friend  that  he  had  hitherto  been  under 
the  impression  that  his  men  would  face  anything  in 
existence,  but  that  he  had  been  sadly  disillusioned  when 
(as  the  Austrian  pathetically  explained)  "  they  met 
those  damned  Cossacks  !  " 


CHAPTER  VII 

SPORT,    AMUSEMENTS    AND    FOOD 

VERY  few  Russians  care  for  sport  in  our  English  sense 
of  the  word,  although  their  country  is  so  well  adapted 
for  its  enjoyment,  which  is  practically  within  reach  of  all. 
Yet  only  members  of  the  highest  aristocracy  regard 
it  as  seriously  as  the  average  Briton,  having  probably 
acquired  a  taste  for  its  various  branches  in  other  countries 
but  their  own.  A  love  of  the  chase  and  manly  games  is 
innate  in  every  Briton,  rich  or  poor,  but  even  the  young 
and  stalwart  Russian  of  independent  means  is  generally 
an  "  indoor  man,"  who  only  braves  the  elements  when 
compelled  to  do  so  in  order  to  transact  public  or  private 
business,  his  leisure  hours  being  generally  spent  at 
the  club  or  card-table.  Horse-racing  has  become  popular 
of  recent  years  (there  is  now  a  Russian  "  Derby  "  run  at 
Moscow),  but  the  public  attend  meetings  more  with  the 
object  of  gambling  than  from  any  interest  in  the  breeding 
or  performances  of  the  animals  engaged.  The  Russian 
is  also  as  a  rule  an  indifferent  horseman,  who  does  not 
care  to  ride,  but  only  drives,  for  pleasure,  and  then 
seldom  handles  the  ribbons  himself.  I  only  once  went 
out  partridge-shooting  with  a  Russian  friend,  who  was 
got  up  for  the  occasion  in  a  Mexican  sombrero,  long 
green  coat,  linen  knickerbockers  and  side-spring  boots, 
and  spent  most  of  the  time  crawling  about  on  his 
stomach  in  order  to  shoot  the  birds  before  they  could 
rise  !  Yet  my  friend  was  a  crack  shot  with  a  rifle,  and 
could  plug  the  ace  of  spades  three  times  out  of  five  with 
a  duelling  pistol  at  twelve  paces. 

Big-game  shooting  in  Russia  is  therefore  restricted  to 
the  nobility,  amongst  whom  bear-hunting  is  the  most 
popular  form  of  amusement,  and  also  an  expensive 
one ;  for  it  entails  many  preliminaries  and  innumerable 

61 


62  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW  IT 

attendants  and  beaters,  as  I  saw  when  once  attending  a 
battue  on  Prince  V.'s  estate  not  far  from  Petrograd. 
The  best  time  for  bear-shooting  is  in  the  early  autumn 
when  the  first  snow  falls,  and  the  quarry  selects  a  secluded 
spot  in  the  forest  in  which  to  hibernate.  Many  peasants 
make  a  living  at  this  season  by  "  ringing  in  "  the  beast, 
which  is  done  by  first  finding  its  track  and  then  starting 
at  right  angles  from  the  latter  and  making  a  large 
circle  around  it  in  the  snow.  No  further  traces  outside 
this  boundary  show  that  the  bear  has  been  successfully 
"  ringed,"  but  if  any  marks  are  visible  beyond  the  first 
circle,  another  is  made,  this  operation  being  repeated 
until  an  unbroken  snowy  surface  denotes  that  the 
quarry  has  been  roughly  located.  When,  say,  half  a 
dozen  bears  have  been  thus  traced  to  their  lairs  some 
wealthy  sportsman  in  the  nearest  town  is  informed  of 
the  fact;  and  the  animals  are  purchased  by  him  for  a 
good  round  sum  (whether  they  are  eventually  killed  or 
not)  and  a  hunt  organized.  Meanwhile  the  various 
rings  are  continually  watched  daily  to  make  sure  that 
the  bears  have  not  escaped. 

We  left  Petrograd  by  train  on  a  clear,  calm  November 
evening,  arriving  about  eleven  o'clock  at  night  at  a  small 
railway  station,  where  a  number  of  sledges  were  awaiting 
us.  We  numbered  a  dozen  guns,  and  on  arrival  at  the 
appointed  spot,  fifty  or  sixty  beaters  surrounded  the 
first  ring  and  moved  slowly  forward  with  flaming  torches, 
their  advance  being  preceded  by  the  discharge  of  two 
or  three  rifles  to  stir  up  Bruin.  Fox  terriers  were  also 
employed  to  indicate  the  latter's  whereabouts,  and  we 
had  not  long  to  wait  before  a  crashing  of  branches  was 
heard,  as  the  brute  broke  from  his  hiding-place  and 
emerged  into  the  open,  where,  as  it  was  bright  moon- 
light, he  was  plainly  visible.  Each  man  had  a  couple  of 
rifles,  a  revolver,  and  hunting-knife,  and  every  beater 
also  carried  a  spear  in  case  of  a  scrap  at  close  quarters. 
In  this  case  a  cool  head  and  steady  nerves  are  essential, 
for  in  the  event  of  a  miss,  it  is  useless  to  try  and  escape 
over  deep  snow,  gnarled  roots,  and  other  obstacles. 
Indeed,  this  sport  seemed  so  risky,  that  I  was  surprised 
to  hear  that  accidents  rarely  occur.  Only  one  bear 
fell  to  our  guns  that  night,  but  he  was  a  splendid  fellow, 


SPORT,   AMUSEMENTS   AND   FOOD     63 

brought  down  by  a  lucky  shot  from  my  nearest  neigh- 
bour, about  a  hundred  yards  from  where  I  was  standing. 
The  sport  was  therefore  rather  poor,  although  we  did  not 
return  to  the  village  until  late  the  next  morning,  to  do 
ample  justice  to  an  excellent  breakfast  which  had  been 
specially  prepared  by  our  host's  chefin  a  beater's  cottage. 

The  nearest  approach  in  Russia  to  fox-hunting  is 
chasing  wolves  on  horseback,  with  hounds,  now  well 
known  in  England  as  "  borzois."  Covers  are  drawn 
by  sending  mounted  men  through  a  wood  with  a  number 
of  dogs  of  any  sort  of  breed — mongrels  for  choice,  for 
they  make  the  most  noise  !  Other  horsemen  select  a 
spot  in  the  open  where  the  wolf  is  likely  to  break,  each 
holding  a  "  borzoi  "  (or  perhaps  a  couple)  which,  as 
soon  as  the  wolf  dashes  into  the  open,  are  slipped  in 
pursuit,  when  horsemen,  hounds,  and  yelping  curs 
gallop  madly  in  pursuit.  When  the  wolf  is  pulled 
down  the  foremost  rider  dismounts  and  dispatches  him 
with  a  hunting-knife — a  ticklish  operation  which  needs 
considerable  skill  and  experience.  In  winter  a  different 
method  is  pursued,  for  it  is  then  impossible,  owing  to 
deep  snow,  to  follow  on  horseback,  and  wolves  generally 
prowl  about  the  country  in  packs.  When  one  of  them  is 
located,  a  dead  horse  is  placed  near  the  spot  to  keep  them 
from  straying  until  the  guns  can  reach  the  spot. 

Hawking  is  a  favourite  sport  amongst  the  Tartars  in 
the  south,  and  in  the  northern  provinces  capercailzie 
and  black-game  shooting  are  popular  amongst  the 
upper  classes.  But  game  of  all  sorts  abounds  in  Euro- 
pean Russia  and  Siberia,  especially  the  latter,  where  in 
various  districts  wild  geese,  partridge,  teal,  widgeon, 
wild  duck  and  snipe  are  found  in  unlimited  quantities, 
for  they  are  rarely  shot  at,  but  merely  trapped  for  sale 
in  the  towns. 

The  youth  of  Russia  seems  as  little  attracted  by  manly 
exercises  as  their  elders  are  by  sport.  I  have  visited 
colleges  and  schools  in  all  parts  of  the  country  and  have 
never  yet  seen  young  men  or  boys  engaged  in  gymnastics 
or  healthy  outdoor  games  such  as  cricket,  football  or 
rackets.  Although  there  is  plenty  of  opportunity,  they 
seldom  skate,  but  in  winter  spend  their  leisure  hours 
indoors,  or  in  summer  idling  about  the  streets  of  a  town 


64  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

or  village,  unless  there  be  a  river  or  stream  handy,  when 
fishing,  being  a  lazy  employment,  is  rather  popular. 
Occasionally  youths  are  seen  playing  at  "  ball,"  or 
battledore  and  shuttlecock,  but  they  never  seem  to 
indulge  in  any  pastime  involving  trouble  or  muscular 
exertion,  which  is  probably  why  lawn  tennis  has  never 
really  caught  on  in  Russia.  Parallel  bars,  trapezes 
and  swings  are  erected  in  the  garden  of  nearly  every 
country  house,  but  are  hardly  ever  used  from  one  year's 
end  to  another.  Russians,  however,  of  every  age  and 
class,  are  fond  of  tobogganing,  ski-ing,  and  (those  who 
can  afford  it)  ice-yachting — one  of  the  most  fascinating 
amusements  which  I  have  ever  enjoyed.  The  aris- 
tocracy join  in  these  winter  sports  with  the  lower  orders, 
and  otherwise  amuse  themselves  very  much  as  they  do  in 
any  other  country — racing,  yachting  or  pigeon -shoot  ing, 
for  which  in  winter-time  they  generally  visit  the  south 
of  France.  Nearly  everything  in  the  world  of  sport  is 
copied  from  the  English,  for  whom,  notwithstanding 
a  popular  belief  to  the  contrary,  our  allies  have  always, 
even  long  before  the  war,  evinced  a  sincere  regard  and 
admiration. 

The  Russians  are,  like  the  French,  great  play-goers,  but 
even  the  houses  subsidized  by  the  State  lack  the  comfort 
of  our  English  theatres,  which  in  this  respect  are  superior 
to  those  of  Paris.  Even  the  Opera  House  in  Petrograd 
has  a  gloomy  appearance,  being  less  well  lit  and  cared 
for  than,  say,  Covent  Garden,  while  although  the  former 
engages  the  finest  operatic  artists  in  the  world,  and  its 
ballets  are  unrivalled,  the  scenery  and  mounting  of 
the  latter  are  generally  inferior  to  those  at  the  larger 
London  music-halls.  The  best  variety  entertainments, 
even  in  the  capital,  are  of  a  third-rate  order,  and  it  is 
perhaps  because  the  Russians  are  such  ardent  lovers 
of  their  own  classical  music,  that  music-halls  here  are 
less  extensively  patronized  than  in  other  countries. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  circus,  which  elsewhere  in  Europe 
appears  to  be  dying  out,  is  as  popular  here  as  ever. 

Most  Russians  prefer  tragedy  to  comedy,  especially 
lurid  dramas  of  the  Transpontine  order,  but  of  late 
years  musical  comedy  of  the  Merry  Widow  type  has 
become  increasingly  popular,  although  Petrograd  and 


SPORT,   AMUSEMENTS   AND   FOOD     65 

Moscow  have  up  till  now  been  spared  the  inane  "  Revue," 
which  in  England  is  such  a  misnomer,  having  nothing 
in  common  with  the  generally  bright  and  clever  satire 
on  passing  events  which  justifies  its  title  in  France. 
The  Russian  farce,  like  most  Russian  comic  papers,  is 
generally  dull  and  lacking  in  humour ;  but  the  works  of 
Tolstoi,  Turgenieff  and  other  Russian  authors  are  of 
course  masterpieces  which  should  only  be  portrayed  by 
Russian  artists,  for  when  they  are  translated  and  played 
in  English,  the  local  atmosphere  entirely  disappears. 

The  real  Russian  cuisine  (although  generally  con- 
fined in  England  to  "  bortsch  "  and  "  caviare  ")  is,  to  my 
mind,  the  best  in  Europe.  I  do  not  here  refer  to  wealthy 
private  establishments  where  the  chef  is  generally  a 
Parisian,  but  to  the  style  of  cooking  which  corresponds  to 
the  French  Cuisine  Bourgeoise.  The  national  dish,  which 
appears  in  varying  degrees  of  culinary  excellence  before 
both  the  millionaire  and  the  "  moujik,"  is  "  schtchi," 
which,  although  its  chief  component  is  the  humble 
cabbage,  is  the  most  delicious  soup  in  the  world^ 
there  being  an  old  proverb  which  avers  that  "  Schtchi, 
Tchai,  and  the  Tchin,  are  the  Muscovite's  three  divini- 
ties !  "*  For  as  roast  beef,  macaroni  and  "  pumper- 
nickel "2  are  respectively  suggestive  of  a  British,  Italian 
and  Teutonic  appetite,  so  is  "  schtchi "  inseparably 
linked  with  that  of  the  Russian,  whose  first  care  on 
settling  in  a  wild  and  lonely  district  is  to  sow  cabbages, 
in  order  that  this  essential  article  of  diet  may  be  quickly 
forthcoming.  There  are,  however,  many  varieties  of 
"  schtchi "  ;  the  one  which  I  preferred  being  that  which 
is  found  in  every  humble  household  and  made  of  shredded 
white  cabbage,  half  a  pound  of  pearl-barley,  a  quarter  of 
a  pound  of  butter,  and  mutton  cut  into  small  pieces, 
with  two  quarts  of  "  kvas,"  although  broth  may  be 
used  instead  of  the  latter.  This  may  seem  a  very 
ordinary  "  recipe "  but,  even  when  I  have  specially 
ordered  it  in  the  best  London  and  Paris  restaurants, 
it  has  never  tasted  so  good  as  in  the  poorest  peasant's 

1  "  Cabbage  soup,  tea,  and  the  official  world." 

2  This  word  is  said  to  be  derived  from  the  fact  that  when  Napoleon  I. 


was  offered  one,  he  ate  a  mouthful  and  then  gave  it  in  disgust  to 
charger,  remarking  :    "  C'est  seulement  bon  pour  '  Nicki.1  n 


his 


66  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW  IT 

"  izba  "  in  Russia.  "  Bortsch  "  is  very  much  the  same 
as  "  schtchi,"  only  here  cream  is  a  necessary  adjunct, 
and  beetroot  replaces  cabbage  as  the  chief  ingredient. 

Nearly  every  winter  dish  here  has,  in  summer,  its 
cold  counterpart,  and  "  batvinia  "  is  generally  served 
in  very  hot  weather  instead  of  "  schtchi,"  the  former 
also  being  composed  of  "  kvas  "  with  various  herbs, 
cucumber,  cranberries,  small  slices  of  salmon  and 
sturgeon,  and  plenty  of  ice.  Another  cold  soup  is 
"  akroshka,"  which  is  almost  similar  but  contains 
sliced  apple  and  rissoles  of  "  caviare."  Both  are  excellent 
and  would  probably  be  much  appreciated  if  introduced 
into  England. 

Russians  rarely  roast  their  meat  but  prefer  it  boiled, 
and  seldom  eat  bacon,  sausages  and  similar  dishes ;  and 
I  have  never  tasted,  in  any  country,  such  delicious  bread, 
or  seen  it  baked  in  such  innumerable  forms,  several 
varieties  always  accompanying  early  breakfast.  Moscow 
is  famous  for  its  "  kalatchi,"  which  are  eaten  through- 
out the  length  and  breadth  of  the  empire,  and  "  blinis  " 
(a  kind  of  pancake,  eaten  with  fresh  "caviare  ")  are  almost 
as  popular  and  may  now  be  had  at  the  best  London 
restaurants.  Siberia  is  productive  of  thousands  of  edible 
wild  berries,  of  which  delicious  preserves  are  made,  for 
the  jam  here,  like  the  bread,  is  the  best  I  ever  tasted. 
All  kinds  of  pickles  made  in  the  country  are  served  at 
every  meal,  also  salads,  not  only  of  lettuce,  but  cherries, 
grapes  and  other  fruits  preserved  in  vinegar. 

The  national  beverage  of  Russia  is  "  kvas,"1  which,  as 
I  have  already  remarked,  is  used  not  only  as  a  drink,  but 
also  in  cooking.  It  is  a  kind  of  small  beer,  which  is 
generally  seen  at  table  instead  of  water,  and  is  easily 
prepared  by  adding  two  pounds  of  barley  meal,  half  a 
pound  of  salt,  and  a  pound  and  a  half  of  honey  to  a 
quart  of  water.  The  mixture  is  put  in  an  oven  overnight 
with  a  slow  fire  and  left  till  next  morning,  when  the  fluid 
is  strained  off  and  kept  till  fit  to  drink  in  about  a  week. 
The  cranberry  grows  here  like  a  weed,  and  a  syrup  made 
from  it  is  largely  consumed  now  that  "  vodka  "  is  no 
longer  obtainable. 

1  According  to  the  Chronicle  of  Nestor  "  kvas  M  was  in  use  among 
the  Sclavonians  in  the  first  century  of  our  era. 


SPORT,   AMUSEMENTS  AND  FOOD     67 

Most  of  the  hotels  and  "  restaurants  "  in  Petrograd 
and  Moscow  have  now  adopted  French  culinary  methods, 
but  many  places  still  exist  in  both  cities  where  only 
Russian  fare  is  provided,  and  these  may  easily  be  found 
on  inquiry  at  any  hotel.  A  Russian  eating-house 
generally  supplies  soup,  a  rissole  of  minced  meat,  an 
entree,  joint  and  sweet  for  a  rouble.  Russian  cooking 
therefore  possesses  one  advantage  to  the  traveller  not 
possessed  of  unlimited  means :  it  is  cheaper  than  any 
other,  but  it  must  be  eaten  in  Russia,  and  nowhere  else, 
to  be  fully  appreciated. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

FINLAND IN   TOWN 

I  MET  him  one  evening  in  the  bar  of  the  "  Hotel  de 
France "  at  Petrograd,  a  genial  person  with  flaxen 
beard  and  steely-blue  eyes,  who  wore  an  ill-fitting,  shiny 
black  suit,  vaguely  suggestive  of  commercial  travel  or 
the  mercantile  marine.  The  stranger,  to  judge  from 
his  political  opinions,  was  evidently  not  a  Russian, 
although  he  spoke  that  language,  French  and  English 
with  equal  facility.  I  was  feeling  depressed,  having 
just  been  compelled  to  postpone  an  expedition  to 
Arctic  Siberia  on  which  I  had  set  my  heart,  and  which 
was  to  have  started  within  a  month.  So  I  accepted 
my  new  acquaintance's  proffered  cocktail  as  an  anti- 
dote to  gloomy  thoughts,  while  the  former  condoled 
with  me  over  the  failure  of  plans  which  would,  I  ex- 
plained, keep  me  at  a  loose  end  throughout  the  approach- 
ing autumn.  My  companion's  rejoinder  then  solved 
all  my  doubts  as  to  his  nationality.  "  You  have  time 
on  your  hands  ?  "  said  he.  "  Why,  then,  not  visit  my 
country — Finland?  " 

Finland  !  I  had  always  associated  the  name  with 
desolate  forests  and  stagnant  lakes,  where  a  few  poverty- 
stricken  natives  on  the  coast  subsisted  by  occasionally 
trading  in  fish,  tar  and  timber.  The  only  Finn  I  had 
hitherto  met  was  an  intemperate  mariner  on  an  American 
whaler,  who  had  not  inspired  me  with  any  desire  to 
extend  my  acquaintance  to  his  country  or  compatriots. 
Why,  then,  should  I  go  to  Finland? 

Simply  because  my  conception  of  the  country  had 
been  absurdly  incorrect,  according  to  this  informant, 
whose  glowing  accounts  of  culture  and  progressive 
people,  wonderful  cities  and  boundless  natural  re- 
sources, I  naturally  received  with  some  mistrust. 

68 


FINLAND— IN   TOWN  69 

The  Finnish  capital,  Helsingfors,  he  described  as  a 
miniature  Paris,  from  which  railways  radiated  to 
various  places  equally  attractive  from  an  historical, 
commercial  and  sporting  point  of  view,  while  I  was 
assured  that  a  tour  through  the  entire  country  need 
only  occupy  six  weeks,  which,  as  it  was  now  early  in 
August,  would  enable  me  to  inspect  it  in  warmth  and 
comfort.  And  so  easy  and  alluring  was  the  plan  of 
travel  sketched  out  by  my  friend  (who  also  promised 
me  letters  of  introduction),  that  I  resolved  to  take  his 
advice  and  visit  this  remarkable  land  of  which  I  had 
apparently  formed  such  erroneous  ideas.  So  it  came 
to  pass  that,  within  twenty-four  hours  of  coming  to  a 
decision,  I  found  myself  in  Helsingfors,  which,  by  the 
way,  was  reached,  after  a  night's  journey,  in  a  comfort- 
able sleeping-car. 

Here  let  me  briefly  explain  that  Finland  l  (in  Finnish, 
"  Suomi  ")  is  about  the  size  of  Great  Britain,  Holland 
and  Belgium  combined,  with  a  population  of  about 
2,500,000,2  which  includes  a  large  number  of  Swedes. 
The  country  is  flat  and  marshy  from  end  to  end,  covered 
with  dense  forests,  and  honeycombed  with  the  sheets 
of  water  known  as  the  "  Thousand  Lakes,"  which  vary 
from  small  ponds  to  an  inland  sea  three  times  the  size 
of  the  Lake  of  Geneva,  and  which  with  connecting 
canals  form  useful  waterways.  There  is  no  river  of 
any  importance  through  the  country,  but  rapids  and 
falls  abound,  which  are  utilized  not  only  for  motive 
power,  but  for  the  floating  of  thousands  of  tons  of 
lumber  yearly  from  inland  forests  to  the  sea. 

Finland  has  endured  many  struggles  and  vicissitudes, 
for  she  has  always  been  a  bone  of  contention,  and  wars 
have  been  constantly  waged  between  Russia  and  Sweden 
for  the  possession  of  this  wild,  but  coveted,  strip  of 
territory.  The  Finns  always  fought  as  Swedish  allies 
until  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  when 
Russian  rule  was  finally  established  over  a  race  which, 
although  at  the  outset  was  bitterly  opposed  to  it,  has 

1  The  name  Finland  is  derived  from  the  old  word,  "  finn,"  which 
signifies  a  wizard,  or  witch. 

2  Fifty  years  ago  the  Finns  numbered  about  1,500,000,  and  the  latest 
census  shows  nearly  double  these  figures. 


70  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

gradually  learnt  to  appreciate  the  benefits  to  be  derived 
from  a  wise  and  tolerant  Government,  to  say  nothing 
of  a  more  powerful  protectorate  than  that  which  it 
formerly  enjoyed.  German  agents  have  in  recent  years 
(and  in  view  of  the  present  conflict)  attempted  to  sow 
seeds  of  revolution  throughout  the  country,  and  even 
at  the  present  time  there  exists  a  certain  section  of 
malcontents  (my  Petrograd  friend  was  one)  who  would 
welcome  a  Swedish  restoration,  especially  as  these 
people  are  so  closely  allied  in  every  way  with  their 
Scandinavian  neighbours.  But  the  majority  of  the 
Finns  are  now  content  to  remain  Russian  subjects, 
provided  they  are  granted  conditional  Home  Rule,  and 
this  they  have  now  practically  obtained.  Countries 
annexed  by  Russia  have  generally  been,  so  to  speak, 
Russianized  in  a  comparatively  short  space  of  time, 
such  as,  for  instance,  Poland,  and  more  recently  Central 
Asia,  where,  in  Merv  and  Bokhara,  the  golden  domes 
of  the  Greek  Church  now  largely  outnumber  Mahometan 
minarets.  But  in  Finland  Swedish  is  the  language  of 
civilization,  especially  in  the  towns,  Finnish  being  only 
spoken  in  the  provinces,  for  this  country,  like  France, 
has  an  irrepressible  nationality  which  only  centuries 
will  finally  eradicate. 

Helsingfors  is  not  a  very  large  place  (it  contains 
100,000  souls),  but  I  was  certainly  surprised  to  find  a 
town  which,  anywhere  in  Europe,  would  be  considered 
imposing  and  well  planned.  Even  the  outlying  districts 
are  laid  out  with  such  care  and  cleanliness  that  this 
may  be  described  as  a  "  slumless "  city,  within  the 
walls  of  which  I  never  saw  a  beggar.  The  Finnish 
capital  rather  resembles  Stockholm  with  a  bit  of  Paris 
(in  the  shape  of  leafy  boulevards)  thrown  in ;  but  even 
Paris  lacks  the  pine-clad  hills  and  breezy  roadstead 
which  render  this  place  so  attractive  in  summer-time, 
when  I  could  not  picture  it  under  snow  and  swept  by 
Arctic  blizzards.  One  might  be  a  thousand  miles  from 
Russia,  for  everything  except  the  climate  is  different, 
from  the  neatness  of  towns  and  villages  to  the  coinage, 
which  here  consists,  not  of  "  roubles  "  and  "  kopeks," 
but  "  pennis  "  and  "  marks."  It  was  also  a  relief  to 
escape  the  official  supervision  so  prevalent  over  the  border. 


FINLAND— IN  TOWN  71 

A  policeman  at  the  railway  station  stopped  me,  as  I 
thought,  to  examine  my  papers,  which,  however,  he 
politely  declined,  while  handing  me  a  small  brass  disc 
with  the  number  of  my  conveyance  in  case  of  over- 
charge or  loss  of  property.  And  in  most  of  the  towns 
I  was  never  even  asked  for  my  passport ! 

Finland  has  one  peculiarity — the  best  hotel  in  every 
town  is  always  named  the  "  Societetshuset,"  which 
certainly  saves  unpleasant  mistakes.  The  one  at 
Helsingfors  was  a  plain,  unpretentious  building,  but 
very  comfortable  and  up  to  date,  every  bedroom  being 
provided  with  a  telephone.  The  charges  were  most 
moderate,  but  this  advantage  I  enjoyed  (and  not  only 
as  regards  hotels)  throughout  the  country.  My  windows 
at  Helsingfors  overlooked  the  blue  harbour  and  busy 
quay,  while  inland  a  handsome  cathedral  dome  towered 
over  the  fair  white  city,  with  roads  winding  from  it  into 
an  endless  panorama  of  pine  forest,  in  which  lakes  shone 
here  and  there,  like  bits  of  crystal  set  in  dark  enamel. 
At  right  angles  to  the  quays  was  the  "  Esplanade 
Gat  an,"  1  or  chief  thoroughfare,  lined  on  one  side  by 
gardens,  and  the  other  by  excellent  shops,  where  I  was 
able  to  purchase  a  good  cigar  which  cost  fourpence, 
and  which  I  should  have  paid  at  least  two  shillings  for 
in  any  Russian  town,  where  cigars  are  seldom  smoked, 
and  are  therefore  generally  bad  and  atrociously  dear. 
There  were  also  good  libraries  and  bookshops,  with  all 
the  latest  English  and  French  publications,  but  scarcely 
any  Russian  literature.  The  chemists  alone  were 
inferior,  and  I  may  add  that  the  sale  of  the  most 
innocuous  patent  medicine  is  strictly  prohibited  through- 
out Russia,  where  even  a  grain  of  calomel  cannot  be 
obtained  without  an  order  from  a  medical  man. 

My  letters  of  introduction  included  one  to  a  distin- 
guished Professor  at  the  University,  who  was  justly 
proud  of  its  college  library,  which  contained  200,000 
volumes.  Degrees  are  taken  here  in  science,  medicine 
and  art  by  both  sexes,  and  the  girl  graduates  affect 
masculine  tailor-made  costumes  and  little  velvet  caps 
of  various  colours,  such  as  are  worn  by  Swiss  students. 
For  women  here  take  a  very  prominent  position  in  life, 
1  "  Gatan,"  a  street. 


72  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

being  not  only  admitted  as  Members  of  Parliament,  but 
employed  as  clerks  in  railways,  banks  and  counting- 
houses,  while  in  the  country  they  work  on  the  land  and 
attend  to  horses  and  cattle.  Yet  I  never  met  a  militant 
suffragette  in  Finland,  probably  because  equality  of  the 
sexes  is  regarded  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  women  are 
never  compelled  to  sacrifice  domesticity  and  refinement 
in  order  to  uphold  their  "  rights." 

As  a  rule  Finnish  women  are  flaxen-haired  and  blue- 
eyed,  with  well-developed  figures,  and  generally  incline 
to  stoutness  before  middle  age.  They  usually  marry 
young,  and  anything  like  conjugal  infidelity  is,  on  either 
side,  regarded  as  an  unpardonable  sin,  for  which  the 
offender  is  eternally  ostracized,  although  a  divorce  can 
be  obtained  on  such  trivial  grounds  as  incompatibility 
of  temper.  Moreover,  a  husband  need  only  be  absent 
for  a  year,  and  if  at  the  end  of  that  time  he  does  not 
reply  to  his  wife's  advertisement  in  the  local  newspapers, 
she  is  free  to  marry  again.  I  have  already  referred  to 
the  immorality  existing  in  certain  capitals  in  Europe, 
of  which,  judging  from  what  I  saw  of  it,  Helsingfors  is 
certainly  the  most  virtuous.  There  is  not  a  music  or 
dancing  hall  here  which  a  lady  may  not  visit  alone 
without  fear  of  annoyance,  which  is  strange,  seeing 
that  Petrograd  and  Stockholm  are  within  such  easy 
distance. 

I  met  few  Russians  in  Helsingfors,  for  they  generally 
hold  official  appointments  and  do  not  associate  much 
with  Finns;  but  wherever  I  went  throughout  the 
country  the  Emperor  of  Russia  and  his  consort  were 
regarded  by  all  classes  with  loyalty  and  respect,  and  I 
heard  many  instances  of  the  kindness  shown  by  members 
of  the  Imperial  Family  while  in  Finland,  notably  of  one 
which  is  related  of  the  late  Alexander  III. — when  His 
Majesty  was  fishing  one  day,  attended  only  by  an 
equerry.  Lunch  was  served  in  a  woodcutter's  hut  on 
the  banks  of  a  trout  stream  which  had  been  the  scene 
of  sport,  and  the  Emperor  was  struck  not  only  by  the 
beauty  of  his  humble  hosts'  daughter,  but  also  by  her 
dejected  appearance,  of  which  His  Majesty  inquired  the 
cause.  "  Her  betrothed  is  going  away  to-morrow  to 
join  the  army,"  explained  her  father,  "  and  she  can't 


FINLAND-IN   TOWN  73 

marry  him,  poor  soul.  The  Tsar  will  want  him  too 
long  for  a  soldier  !  " 

"  Indeed  ?  "  said  the  Emperor,  much  amused.  "  Where 
is  this  unhappy  lover?  Bring  him  to  me." 

A  good-looking  lad  was  summoned,  and  shyly  con- 
fronted the  stalwart  stranger,  who  had  now  risen  from 
the  table,  and  was  lighting  a  cigarette. 

"So  you  want  to  marry  your  pretty  little  sweet- 
heart, eh?" 

The  boy  awkwardly  nodded  assent. 

"  Well,  give  her  a  kiss,  and  tell  her  you  are  not 
going  away.  General,  see  that  this  man  is  permanently 
exempted  from  military  service."  And  the  Emperor 
turned  to  leave  the  place. 

"  But,  Excellency,"  cried  the  old  woodcutter,  trem- 
bling with  amazement,  "  what  will  the  Tsar— 

"  I  am  the  Tsar,  my  friend,"  said  Alexander  III., 
glancing  back  from  the  threshold ;  "  Tsar  of  Russia  in 
Petersburg,  but  here  only  Grand  Duke  of  Finland  !  " 

This  anecdote  is  authentic,  for  it  was  told  me  by  one 
who  afterwards  employed  the  youth  in  whom  the 
Emperor  had  taken  such  a  kindly  interest. 

My  friend  the  Professor  was  a  character,  and  also  a 
pleasant  companion,  and  we  made  together  many  excur- 
sions around  Helsingfors,  one  to  the  quaint  old  town  of 
Borga  to  admire  its  cathedral,  a  wonderful  specimen  of 
early  Finnish  architecture,  and  visit  the  house  of 
Runeberg,  the  poet-patriot,  which  remains  as  it  was  in 
his  lifetime.  Of  pleasure  resorts  there  was  the  island 
of  Hogholm  with  its  pretty  park  and  restaurant;  for 
the  Finns,  like  the  French,  delight  in  open-air  meals, 
and  here,  on  a  fine  evening,  crowds  of  people  would 
assemble  to  dine  under  the  trees,  to  the  music  of  a  fine 
orchestra.  The  gardens  of  Briinnsparken  are  reached 
in  a  few  minutes  by  little  steamers  plying  around  the 
harbour,  and  this  was  a  favourite  resort  of  the  Pro- 
fessor's, with  whom  I  dined  there,  to  find  that  Finnish 
"  smorgasbord  "  was  an  even  more  formidable  prelude 
to  meals  than  "  Zakuski,"  and  I  could  scarcely  face 
dinner  after  smoked  and  raw  salmon,  pink  and  grey 
caviare,  many  kinds  of  fish,  smoked  reindeer-tongues 
and  potted  meats.  Then  came  "  soupe  a  la  bisque  "  (a 


74  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW   IT 

speciality),  followed  by  "  flundra  " — a  delicious  blend 
of  the  sole  and  sterlet,  which  only  a  Finnish  cook  can 
properly  prepare.  Roast  partridge  was  the  only  piece 
de  resistance,  for  in  northern  menus  fish  always  pre- 
dominates, and,  if  you  don't  happen  to  care  for  it,  to 
a  rather  superfluous  extent. 

On  the  way  home  we  landed  at  a  little  island  occupied 
by  the  "  Nyland  Yacht  Club,"  which,  as  usual  on  a 
summer  night,  was  crowded  with  members.  Here  the 
Professor  was  joyfully  welcomed,  and,  the  evening  being 
sultry,  I  was  initiated  into  the  mysteries  of  "  miod," 
an  amber-coloured  beverage,  composed  of  cider,  many 
liqueurs,  wild  strawberries  and  chunks  of  ice,  an  appar- 
ently insidious  but  extremely  potent  beverage.  Yet 
my  companion  and  his  friends  drank  it  like  water,  but 
experience  has  shown  me  that,  the  further  you  go  north, 
the  more  can  man  dispose  of  large  quantities  of  alcoholic 
refreshment  without  apparent  ill  effects.  Many  mem- 
bers of  the  Nyland  Yacht  Club  owned  racing  craft  built 
in  England,  and  their  home  resembled  an  English 
country  house,  with  its  oak-panelled  rooms  and  cosy 
furniture.  The  theatre  wound  up  an  enjoyable  even- 
ing, for  although  the  piece  was  played  in  Swedish,  I 
gradually  realized  that  it  was  the  Private  Secretary, 
which  was  so  well  acted  that  its  performance  might 
have  earned  even  the  appreciation  of  its  original  pro- 
ducer in  England — my  old  friend  Charles  Hawtrey. 

The  fortress  of  Sveaborg,  within  easy  distance  of 
Helsingfors,  is,  under  present  conditions,  of  consider- 
able interest,  and  the  steamer  by  which  I  journeyed  to 
it  across  the  harbour  was  crowded  with  Russian  officers 
returning  from  leave,  for  this  Gibraltar  of  the  North  is 
as  jealously  guarded  as  its  Mediterranean  prototype. 
From  the  moment  I  landed,  shifty-eyed,  plain-clothes 
men  strolled  after  me,  while  sentries  waved  me  sternly 
away  from  the  more  important  works.  Sveaborg  is 
now  practically  impregnable,  having  been  greatly 
strengthened  since  Crimean  days,  and  even  then  the 
allied  French  and  English  bombardment  had  as  little 
effect  upon  it  as  a  fly  buzzing  against  a  battleship. 
Previously  to  this  the  fortress  (or  rather  succession  of 
forts)  capitulated  to  Russia  in  1808,  but  only  under 


FINLAND-IN  TOWN  75 

similar  conditions  to  those  by  which  Metz  was  treacher- 
ously ceded  to  the  Germans  in  1870,  for  the  Swedish 
commander,  Admiral  Cronstedt,  surrendered  with  6000 
men  and  two  ships  of  the  line  without  firing  a  shot. 
Sveaborg  has  now  a  garrison  of  10,000  men,  the  heaviest 
and  most  modern  type  of  guns,  and  is  provisioned  to 
sustain  a  siege  of  five  years.  The  Kaiser's  fleet  will 
therefore  find  it  a  very  hard  nut  to  crack — if  they  ever 
attempt  to  crack  it ! 

As  I  have  previously  said,  summer  here  is  very 
delightful,  although  not  so  gay  as  the  winter  season, 
with  its  sledging  parties,  ski  matches  and  skating, 
which  latter  is  here  a  national  pastime,  although  in 
Russia  you  seldom  see  a  pair  of  skates.  Helsingfors 
has  a  huge  open-air  rink  where  thousands  of  people 
congregate  at  night  in  the  glare  of  electric  light,  and 
there  are  also  trotting  races  on  the  ice,  for  which  horses 
are  sent  from  long  distances  to  compete,  and  ice-boat 
contests  over  the  mirror-like  surface  of  the  frozen  lakes ; 
so  that,  what  with  outdoor  sports  by  day,  and  dinner- 
parties, theatres  and  dancing  at  night,  there  are  many 
duller  places  in  winter  than  this.  Even  in  wet  weather 
one  need  never  feel  bored,  for  there  are  spacious  arcades 
which,  though  perhaps  not  so  gay  as  the  Palais  Royal, 
afford  amusement  and  a  comfortable  shelter  on  a  rainy 
afternoon. 

I  stayed  for  a  couple  of  days  at  Viborg  (where  only 
a  ruined  citadel  now  remains  of  the  first  settlement 
built  in  Finland  by  the  Swedes),  and  having  an  intro- 
duction to  its  owner,  called  one  day  at  a  pretty  villa 
embowered  in  creepers  and  honeysuckle,  overlooking  a 
picturesque  lake.  Surrounding  ^he  latter  were  similar 
dwellings,  each  with  its  tiny  landing-place,  trim  garden, 
and  smooth  lawn  sloping  down  to  the  water,  from  a 
background  of  pine  forest,  cleared,  here  and  there,  into 
meadowland  flecked  with  yellow  gorse.  My  host  and 
his  wife  received  me  on  their  little  private  jetty,  to 
which  was  attached  a  flotilla  of  pleasure-boats  brought 
by  friends,  for  I  arrived  on  the  joyful  occasion  of  a 
golden  wedding,  then  being  celebrated  by  a  dance 
which,  commencing  in  the  afternoon,  did  not  terminate 
until  the  next  day  !  But  everything  was  admirably 


76  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

done — although  some  of  the  male  guests  wore  rather 
fanciful  evening  dress,  which  started  well  with  a  swallow- 
tail coat,  but  lapsed  into  lavender-coloured  pants  and 
canvas  shoes  ! 

There  were  no  seats  and  therefore  no  "  wall-flowers  " 
in  the  ball-room,  where  even  aged  couples  circled 
gravely  around  to  the  strains  of  the  latest  valse  or 
polka.  The  younger  women  wore  white,  and  might 
have  passed  for  English  country  girls,  though  the  latter 
would  hardly  have  moved  with  such  grace  through  the 
mazes  of  the  Russian  "  mazurka,"  which  is  an  intricate 
gavotte-like  measure,  unlike  the  one  which  was  formerly 
danced  in  England.  And  there  was  a  charming  in- 
formality about  the  proceedings,  where  every  one 
seemed  gay,  good-humoured,  and  polite,  that  recalled 
similar  entertainments  in  far-away  France. 

Coffee  was  served  as  the  departing  guests  assembled 
on  the  landing-stage,  and  our  host's  white  steam-launch 
then  bore  us  swiftly  back  to  Viborg,  which,  as  we 
neared  it,  was  emerging  into  sunshine  from  the  chilly 
mists  of  dawn.  And  I  went  sleepily  to  bed,  scarcely 
able  to  realize  that  this  was  the  Finland  which  I  had 
pictured  so  differently  only  one  short  week  ago  ! 


CHAPTER  IX 

FINLAND IN   THE    COUNTRY 

MY  friend  the  Professor  was  portly,  well  on  in  the 
sixties,  and  had  lived  every  day  of  his  life,  yet,  like 
most  hardy  Northerners,  he  had  contrived  to  retain  the 
mental  and  physical  vigour  of  a  middle-aged  man. 
Also,  being  a  naturalist,  various  travels  in  the  wilds 
had  imbued  him  with  the  contempt  for  time  and  mileage 
which  I  have  often  noticed  amongst  Russians,  especially 
in  that  land  of  stupendous  distances,  Siberia.  For 
instance,  this  light-hearted  scientist  one  morning  sug- 
gested a  visit  to  an  adjacent  island  by  penny  steamer, 
and  the  next  moment  exclaimed,  as  if  struck  by  a 
bright  idea  :  "  No  !  We  will  go  to  our  seaside  resort, 
Hango,"  which  was  as  if  a  short  trip  to,  say,  Richmond, 
had  been  suddenly  abandoned  in  favour  of  a  journey  to 
York  !  For  Hango  meant  at  least  six  hours  by  rail, 
which  my  companion  would  cheerfully  have  undertaken 
without  luggage  and  the  vaguest  idea  as  to  our  return  ! 
But  I  have  known  aged  Siberians,  whose  English  proto- 
types would  need  a  Bath  chair,  think  nothing  of  several 
days  in  an  open  sleigh,  with  40°  below  zero,  and  only 
frozen  fish  to  subsist  on  ! 

Anyway,  we  did  not  go  to  Hango,  and  the  next  day 
found  me  on  a  train  bound  for  the  famous  falls  of 
Imatra,  the  Professor  accompanying  me  to  the  station, 
where  he  stacked  up  the  carriage-rack  with  Finnish 
newspapers,  probably  to  impress  me  with  their  number 
and  importance  (for  he  must  have  known  I  could  not 
read  them  !),  of  which  the  Finns  have  reason  to  be 
proud.  For  there  is  now  no  town  of  any  importance 
in  the  country  without  its  newspaper,  while  Helsingfors 
publishes  half  a  dozen  in  the  Finnish  and  Swedish 
languages.  Some  of  them  were  nearly  twice  the 

77 


78  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

dimensions  of  a  London  daily  (for  advertisement  is  the 
rage  here),  and  contained  reviews  of  tales  and  articles 
in  several  weekly  and  monthly  magazines  also  published 
in  the  capital.  I  had  already  been  shown  in  Helsingfors 
some  exquisite  specimens  of  local  printing  and  engrav- 
ing, notably  a  wonderful  atlas  x  containing  thirty- odd 
maps  of  Finland,  and  giving,  by  means  of  coloured 
plans,  every  interesting  detail  connected  with  the  latter 
concerning  education,  meteorology,  agriculture,  com- 
munications, industries  and  mines.  Even  the  innumer- 
able lighthouses  and  beacons  on  and  off  the  coast  were 
classified  with  a  care  and  precision  which  must  have 
entailed  years  of  research. 

Railway  fares  in  Finland  are  so  cheap  that  you  may 
cover  nearly  the  entire  railway  system  for  the  price  of 
a  first-class  return  ticket  between  London  and  East- 
bourne !  I  travelled  second-class,  and  my  fellow -pas- 
sengers displayed,  like  all  Finns,  a  curiosity  which  in 
any  other  country  would  have  savoured  of  imperti- 
nence. "Where  are  you  going?"  "Are  you  mar- 
ried?" "What  is  your  income?"  were  some  of  the 
questions  to  which  I  replied,  for  they  were  put  in  a 
childish  way  that  disarmed  resentment,  and  the  cross- 
examination  was  generally  followed  by  unsolicited 
details  concerning  the  questioner's  own  private  affairs  ! 
The  latter  was  on  this  occasion  a  brewer,  with  whom  I 
shared  a  pint  of  his  own  excellent  "  pilsener  "  (brewed 
in  Helsingfors  2),  and  who  voluntarily  informed  me  that 
he  suffered  severely  from  gout,  was  a  widower  with  an 
income  of  £500  a  year,  and  had  seven  children.  This 
communicative  companion  was  the  essence  of  good- 
humour  until  a  well-dressed  Russian  woman  entered 
the  compartment  and  proceeded  to  light  a  cigarette, 
when  he  could  hardly  conceal  his  indignation  and 
disgust,  for  smoking  in  Finland  amongst  women  is 
unknown. 

I  was  disappointed  in  the  Imatra  Falls,  probably 
because  they  had  been  described  to  me  in  Helsingfors 
as  the  finest  in  the  world,  with  the  tiresome  reiteration 

1  Atlas  de  Finlande.  Helsingfors,  1899.  Societe  Anonyme.  F.  Tilg- 
mann. 

*  There  are  fifty  breweries  in  operation  throughout  Finland. 


FINLAND— IN  THE   COUNTRY         79 

that  I  have  had  to  undergo  in  Japan  and  Australia 
anent  the  beauties  of  Fujiyama  or  Sydney  harbour  ! 
The  Finnish  falls  are,  however,  picturesque,  and  rush 
down  a  defile  of  precipitous  cliffs  with  such  a  deafening 
roar  that,  although  you  could  pitch  a  biscuit  from  shore 
to  shore,  the  report  of  a  gun  at  your  elbow  would  be 
almost  inaudible;  and  they  were  most  impressive  at 
night,  when  their  foaming  waters  resembled  a  cascade 
of  molten  silver  under  the  rays  of  electric  light.  The 
River  Vuoksi,  of  which  they  form  part,  is  a  fisherman's 
paradise,  and  portions  of  it  are  reserved  by  an  English 
Club  at  Petrograd,  the  members  of  which  have  erected 
a  residential  clubhouse  on  the  spot.  Trout  run  up  to 
twenty-five  pounds  (the  best  months  are  from  June  to 
September),  and  you  fish  from  a  boat  which  is  pro- 
vided at  the  hotel,  with  an  experienced  man,  for  five 
marks  a  day.  Local  fishermen  use  a  light  salmon -rod 
with  a  fine,  strong  line  terminating  with  a  salmon 
collar,  which  should  have  a  trace  of  fine,  single  grey  gut 
attached  to  it.  Two  or  three  yards  of  collar  with  swivels 
should  be  used,  and  the  finer  the  gut  the  better.  The 
brown  palmer  is  the  best  fly,  the  best  minnows  "  Totnes  " 
and  "  Phantom,"  and  early  morning  and  sundown  the 
best  time  of  day.  In  July  the  grayling  are  plentiful, 
and  salmon  are  also  caught  near  the  Vallenkoski  Rapids, 
a  few  miles  down  stream,  but  the  northern  lakes  and 
rivers  are  best  for  these.  An  Englishman  can  always 
obtain  a  free  permit  to  fish  from  the  Petrograd  Club, 
and  also  use  its  quarters  if  he  prefers  them  to  the  hotel, 
which  is  also  very  comfortable. 

One  great  charm  of  Finland  in  summer  is  that  you 
can  generally  get  from  one  place  to  another  by  steamer, 
for  lakes  and  canals  are  interwoven  into  the  most 
perfect  system  of  inland  water  communication  in  the 
world.  Even  the  smallest  sheet  of  water  has  its  service 
of  steamers  with  every  comfort  on  board,  for  the  Finnish 
waterways  cost  25,000,000  marks,  and  a  yearly  expen- 
diture of  250,000  marks,  the  Saima  Canal,  which  unites 
Lake  Ladoga  with  the  Gulf  of  Bothnia,  being  forty 
miles  long.  A  cheap  and  enjoyable  trip  was  made  by 
a  friend  of  the  writer,  who  travelled  in  a  "  Rob  Roy  " 
canoe  for  over  a  month  through  the  country,  without 


80  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

once  revisiting  the  same  spot,  and  getting  excellent 
fishing  every  day,  with  nothing  to  pay  for  it. 

So,  the  weather  being  fine,  I  travelled  as  far  as  I 
could  from  Imatra  by  steamer  to  Tammerfors,  passing 
by  Keparasen,  a  lovely  spot,  where  Satan  is  said  to  have 
tempted  our  Saviour.  The  country  looked  fresh  and 
green,  and  they  were  getting  in  the  hay,  much  later  than 
we  do  in  England  and  on  a  different  system,  by  laying  it  on 
horizontal  poles  a  few  feet  from  the  ground,  where  it  dries 
more  rapidly.  Meadows  in  Finland  are,  as  in  Russia, 
enclosed  by  only  wooden  palisades,  which  lack  the  homely 
look  of  our  English  leafy  hedges  and  grassy  banks. 

Tammerfors,  the  "  Manchester  of  Finland,"  is  more 
like  a  pleasure  resort  than  an  important  commercial 
centre,  this  being  due  to  the  fact  that  fuel  is  rarely  used 
here,  only  water  being  employed  for  motive  power. 
The  latter  is  lavishly  supplied  by  a  narrow  but  turbulent 
river  connecting  two  great  lakes,  which  enables  manu- 
facturers to  run  their  machinery  at  an  almost  nominal 
cost,  while  in  England  it  would  entail  an  enormous 
expenditure.  This  once  small  and  unimportant  place 
owes  its  wealth  and  prosperity  to  Alexander  I.  of 
Russia,  who,  while  on  a  visit  here,  conceived  the  idea 
of  developing  the  latent  resources  of  the  district  by 
utilizing  its  water-power,  which  was  then  being  wasted. 
And  the  Tsar's  ingenious  idea  was  quickly  adopted  by 
the  Finns,  with  the  result  that  Tammerfors  is  now  the 
third  largest  town  in  the  country. 

I  arrived  here  early  on  a  Sunday  to  find  the  streets 
deserted,  for  the  Finns  are  strict  Lutherans,  and 
throughout  the  morning  every  one  was  in  church ! 
But  during  the  afternoon  the  park  and  a  military  band 
attracted  crowds  of  people,  where  artisans,  workmen 
and  factory  girls  sat  under  the  trees,  eating  ices  and 
enjoying  the  music,  in  close  association  with  their 
wealthy  employers,  for  in  Finland  there  is  little  or  no 
class  distinction.  And  as  I  strolled  about  I  heard 
English  frequently  spoken,  for  many  of  the  mills  and 
foundries  here  employ  overseers  and  occasionally  skilled 
mill-hands  from  England;  indeed,  I  conversed  with  a 
Lancashire  lad  who  seemed  quite  unimpressed  by  his 
picturesque  surroundings,  preferring  Manchester,  with 


FINLAND-IN  THE  COUNTRY        81 

all  its  darkness  and  perpetual  rain.  There  were  no 
amusements,  he  complained,  no  music-halls  or  pictures; 
and  this  was  true,  for  by  11  p.m.  the  moonlit  streets 
were  cleared  of  every  living  being  save  policemen.  So 
I  also  retired  early,  to  fall  asleep  to  that  eternal  Finnish 
lullaby,  the  sound  of  falling  water. 

Even  the  busiest  quarters  of  Tammerfors  are  attrac- 
tive, for  the  mighty  river  which  brought  the  latter 
prosperity  rushes  through  them,  the  torrent  being 
spanned  by  a  granite  bridge  from  which  one  can  watch 
the  waters  foaming  through  an  avenue  of  mills  and 
manufactories,  to  mingle  with  the  placid  blue  waters 
of  Lake  Nasijarvi,  a  few  miles  away.  Just  below  the 
bridge  is  a  tiny  island,  and  on  it  the  "  Stromparterren  " 
Restaurant  (noted  for  a  local  delicacy,  fried  sprats), 
and  on  the  left  bank  the  mansion  and  beautiful  gardens 
of  Mr.  Notbeck — a  wealthy  millowner  whose  fortune 
was  derived  from  the  manufacture  of  paper,  the  chief 
article  of  export  here.  A  few  years  ago  only  the  coarsest 
stuff  was  turned  out  for  local  use,  but  since  the  adop- 
tion of  modern  machinery  this  town  provides  the  leading 
capitals  of  Europe  with  the  most  expensive  qualities, 
extracted  from  pine  and  poplar  pulp.  Celluloid  is  also 
produced  in  large  quantities,  and  both  these  articles 
are  put  on  the  market  at  a  much  lower  price  than  if 
steam  were  employed.  In  1874  only  1,000,000  kilograms 
of  paper  were  exported  yearly,  and  now  over  thirty 
times  that  amount  is  sent  out  of  the  country — chiefly 
to  Great  Britain. 

The  output  of  cloth  has  increased  here  during  the 
last  twenty  years  in  the  same  proportion,  and  this  is 
of  the  finest  (and  also  shoddiest)  description,  the  former 
being  almost  equal  to  English  make.  I  visited  a  factory 
where  over  1600  hands  were  employed,  and  where 
tweeds,  especially,  were  turned  out  with  special  regard 
to  durability  and  good  taste.  My  English  friend  in  the 
park  was  receiving  three  times  the  wages  he  received 
at  home,  and  although  Tammerfors  employs  over  10,000 
workpeople  a  strike  has  never  been  known  there,  and 
probably  never  will,  so  long  as  the  cordiality  which  now 
exists  between  capital  and  labour  continues.  For 
"  sweating  "  in  Finland  is  unknown. 


82  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW   IT 

But  the  industries  of  this  prosperous  little  town  are 
not  limited  to  cloth  and  paper,  for  it  has  also  iron- 
foundries,  besides  factories  producing  furniture,  glass, 
china,  matches,  and  even  aerated  waters;  and  this 
reminds  me  that  when,  at  the  local  "  Societetshuset," 
I  ordered  Vichy  water,  it  was  brought  in  a  transparent 
bottle  with  a  red  label  inscribed  "  Made  in  Helsingfors  "  ! 
I  then  called  for  Apollinaris,  and  in  this  case  the  bottle, 
although  genuine,  bore  a  notice  stating  that  its  contents 
had  been  "  Manufactured  in  Vasa  "  ! 

The  roads  in  Finland  are  good,  and  I  motored  from 
here  to  the  rapids  of  Nokia,  ten  miles  distant,  a  charm- 
ing drive  through  fragrant  pine  woods  carpeted  with 
wild  flowers.  We  passed  on  the  way  a  timber  shoot, 
where  lumber  is  hauled  from  the  head  of  the  lake 
system,  north  of  Tammerfors,  about  a  mile  over  a  steep 
hill,  and  floated  down  stream  to  Lake  Nasijarvi.  Over 
a  million  logs  are  thus  transported  yearly  from  this 
place  alone  to  the  steam  saw-mills  of  Bjorneborg  on 
the  sea-coast.1  Returning  home  we  passed  some  grimy 
tents  by  the  roadside,  where  a  group  of  swarthy,  ragged 
men  and  olive-skinned,  dark-eyed  women,  in  gaudy 
robes  and  cheap  jewellery,  sat  round  a  camp-fire.  They 
waved  a  welcome,  and  informed  me  that  they  were 
Rumanian  gipsies,  who  had  taken  over  two  years  to 
travel  here  from  the  plains  of  Hungary. 

If  Tammerfors  is  wealthy,  so  are  its  outskirts,  as  I 
soon  discovered  at  a  large  dairy  farm  not  far  from  the 
town,  where  I  learnt  that  a  large  proportion  of  the 
butter  consumed  in  England  as  "  Danish  "  really  comes 
from  here.  The  farm  which  I  visited  might  have  been 
in  England,  with  its  old-fashioned  garden,  ivy-clad  walls, 
and  lattice  windows  overlooking  grazing  grounds 
thousands  of  acres  in  extent.  Their  owner  informed 
me  that  the  number  of  cattle  in  his  possession  ran  into 
four  figures,  and  that  of  late  years  the  breed  had  been 
greatly  improved  by  the  importation  of  foreign  stock, 
chiefly  from  Holland  and  Ayrshire.  There  are  hundreds 
of  these  large  steam  dairies  in  the  southern  districts, 
where  almost  every  town  has  its  school  of  instruction 

1  The  export  for  1897  was  £1,137,121,  but  this  has  now  been  con- 
siderably increased. 


FINLAND— IN  THE   COUNTRY         83 

in  farm  and  dairy  work — for  the  Government  encourages 
this  branch  of  industry,  the  State  railways  providing 
specially  constructed  milk  and  butter  cars,  heated  or 
cooled  according  to  the  season. 

Finland  is  an  idyllic  place  for  dairy-farming,  and  only 
a  small  capital  is  needed  to  make  a  start,  for  grazing 
is  cheap,  and  water  and  ice  cost  nothing.  Only  the 
winter  cold  and  swarms  of  mosquitoes  in  summer  pre- 
sent any  serious  difficulties,  especially  the  latter,  which 
often  render  it  impossible  to  milk  in  the  open,  so  that 
in  the  evening  fires  are  lit  in  the  fields,  and  the  cows 
stand  in  their  smoke  until  the  operation  is  over.  The 
dairies,  long,  low  buildings  with  numerous  ice  chambers, 
were  admirably  contrived,  and  looked  deliciously  cool 
with  their  marble  flooring,  blue-tiled  walls,  and  endless 
rows  of  shelves  supporting  great  earthenware  dishes  of 
milk,  cream  and  butter.  In  another  building  a  number 
of  wromen  were  putting  up  the  latter  for  export,  and 
most  of  it  was  going  to  England,  of  course  via  Denmark, 
where  it  was,  so  to  speak,  to  be  naturalized  and  re- 
christened.  This  trade,  I  may  add,  has  largely  increased 
since  ice-breakers  at  Hango  have  opened  up  navigation 
throughout  the  winter. 

My  host  was  also  a  breeder  of  horses,  and  I  inspected 
his  extensive  paddocks,  which  contained  several  useful- 
looking  brood  mares  of  foreign  importation.  The 
Finnish  horse  is  of  Tartar  breed,  a  tough,  wiry  little 
beast,  well  adapted  for  ploughing,  but  very  rough  for 
riding  purposes.  A  young,  sound  horse  fetched  from 
ten  to  twelve  pounds,  but  these  prices  have  probably 
increased  since  the  war.  Even  before  it,  from  eight  to 
ten  thousand  Finnish  horses  were  annually  sent  to 
Russia  and  Sweden,  where  they  made  a  good  profit. 

I  supped  with  my  host  and  his  charming  wife,  who 
in  the  evening  entertained  us  with  Finnish  folk-songs  1 
on  the  "  kantele,"  a  kind  of  zither — and  the  national 
instrument.  Madame  was  a  Karelian,  who  are  all  born 
artists  and  musicians,  and  who,  although  Finlanders, 
entirely  differ  in  customs,  and  even  appearance,  from 
the  Tavastlanders,  who  occupy  the  south-western  parts 

1  A  volume  of  these,  entitled  the  Kanteletar,  may  be  had  at  any 
music-shop  in  Helsingfors. 


84  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW   IT 

of  the  country,  while  the  Karelians  live  in  its  northern 
and  eastern  districts.  The  greatest  poets  and  com- 
posers are  of  the  Karelian  stock,  whose  women  are 
famed  for  their  beauty,  while  the  men  are  as  Bohemian 
and  indolent  in  their  mode  of  life  as  the  Tavastlander 
is  plodding  and  industrious.  An  old  Finnish  proverb, 
;t  Karelia  for  pleasure,  Tavastland  for  work,"  aptly 
describes  the  marked  difference  between  these  two 
Finnish  races,  a  mixture  of  which  is  found  in  the 
"  Savolax  "  (between  Karelia  and  Tavastland),  which 
has  also  produced  many  distinguished  literary  men. 

At  least  one-third  of  the  towns  and  villages  in  Finland 
have  names  ending  in  "  joki "  or  "  jarvi,"  1  which  is 
not  surprising  seeing  that  the  former  signifies  a  river 
and  the  latter  a  lake,  while  "koski"  (or  rapids)  is  also 
a  common  termination.  And  it  is  as  well  to  know, 
before  visiting  this  country,  that  nearly  every  town  in 
it  has  a  double  name  :  Helsingfors  (Helmski),  Tampere 
(Tammerfors),  and  a  host  of  others.  Fortunately,  the 
second  appellation  generally  has  a  slight  resemblance  to 
the  first,  although  the  town  I  now  visited  is  called 
Vasa — Nikolaistad ;  the  first  being  Finnish,  and  derived 
from  the  great  Gustavus,  while  the  second  was  be- 
stowed in  honour  of  Nicholas  II.,  Tsar  of  Russia.  Rus- 
sians therefore  call  the  place  "  Nikolaistad,"  while  Finns 
know  it  as  "  Vasa,"  which  occasionally  leads  to  awkward 
mistakes  in  the  postal  department. 

Vasa  lacks  the  commercial  activity  of  other  Finnish 
towns,  as  was  shown  by  the  fact  that  only  two  ram- 
shackle vehicles  awaited  the  arrival  of  the  train,  and, 
for  once  in  a  way,  there  was  no  "  Societetshuset,"  the 
best  hotel  being  called  the  "  Central,"  this  being  a 
Swedish  innovation.  For  in  Vasa  ultra-Swedish  manners 
and  customs  prevailed,  and  portraits  of  the  Tsar  and 
Tsarina  in  public  rooms  were  here  replaced  by  those  of 
King  Oscar  and  his  consort.  No  one,  of  course,  spoke 
Russian,  and  in  order  to  find  my  way  about  I  drew  my 
requirements  on  bits  of  paper — a  method  which  I  had 
found  useful  amongst  the  Tchuktchis  on  Bering  Straits, 
but  which  here  signally  failed.  For  unless  you  speak 
his  language  without  a  trace  of  foreign  accent  no  Swede 
1  The  letter  "  J  "  is  pronounced  as  "  Y." 


FINLAND-IN  THE  COUNTRY        85 

will  understand  you,  and  even  the  simple  word  dgge, 
which  so  closely  resembles  egg  in  English,  and  means  the 
same  thing,  seemed  beyond  his  powers  of  comprehension. 

Vasa  (which  contains  about  15,000  inhabitants)  was 
the  least  attractive  town  that  I  visited,  perhaps  because 
the  soil,  owing  to  its  rich  and  fertile  nature,  is  so  dark; 
for  this  is  essentially  a  grain-producing  district,  oats, 
barley  and  rye  being  largely  exported,  and  most  of  the 
atter  finding  its  way  to  Russia.  There  were  therefore 
large  stores  for  the  sale  of  the  agricultural  implements 
(the  land  here  is  now  chiefly  cultivated  by  steam),  and 
although  England  formerly  furnished  the  machinery 
employed,  there  are  now  excellent  local  manufactories 
of  steel  and  iron  work,  so  that  in  a  few  years'  time 
there  will  probably  be  no  market  here  for  British  goods 
of  this  description.  It  is,  however,  consoling  to  think 
that,  before  the  war,  Germany  had  started  several 
foundries  for  their  production,  which  have,  of  course, 
now  been  confiscated. 

Brando,  about  a  mile  distant,  is  the  port  of  Vasa,  a 
lovely  spot,  the  beauty  of  which  is  rather  marred  by 
the  cranes  and  grain  elevators  erected  along  its  wharves. 
I  strolled  down  here  one  evening  when  a  glorious  sunset 
was  darkening  the  pine-clad  shores  of  the  fjord,  which 
gleamed  like  burnished  steel  in  the  twilight.  The  quays 
were,  at  this  hour,  deserted,  and  silent  save  for  the 
shrill  notes  of  a  concertina  played  by  a  solitary  figure 
on  the  deck  of  a  steamer  alongside  the  pier.  Swedish 
colours  drooped  over  her  stern,  but  the  musician,  quickly 
recognizing  a  compatriot,  put  down  his  instrument  and 
invited  me,  in  broad  Scotch,  to  board  the  vessel  and 
partake  of  a  whisky-and-soda.  My  white-haired  but 
sturdy  host  was  now  chief  engineer  of  the  Karl  XV., 
but  had  started  life  on  an  ocean  tramp,  managed  an 
Alaskan  saw-mill,  and  driven  a  steam  whaler,  before 
settling  down  in  the  Baltic  timber  trade,  which,  as  pay 
was  good  and  work  easy,  he  had  no  intention  of  leaving. 

This  canny  Scot  was  well  posted  in  local  maritime 
commerce,  but  I  was  chiefly  interested  in  his  personal 
experiences  of  the  Baltic — that  perilous  northern  sea 
which  in  summer  swarms  with  shipping,  but  over 
which  in  winter  you  can  almost  walk  dry-shod  over 


86  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

the  ice  from  Brando  to  Sweden.  Mr.  Macfie  cared  little 
for  storms,  but  owned  to  a  wholesome  dread  of  fog  on 
this  rocky  coast  which  bristles  with  reefs  and  shoals, 
while  there  are  as  many  islands  off  it  as  lakes  inland — 
islands  of  all  sizes,  from  that  of  the  Isle  of  Wight  to 
small,  jagged  rocks  just  awash,  that  would  not  harbour 
a  dog.1  The  shores  of  Finland,  however,  are  as  well 
lit  as  those  of  Great  Britain,  the  hydrographic  survey 
having  been  carried  out  solely  by  the  Finns,  a  task 
that  entailed  an  enormous  amount  of  expense  and 
labour.  Sixty  years  ago  a  ship  had  to  grope  her  way 
guided  only  by  beacons  and  roughly  constructed  land- 
marks, but  the  pilot  and  lighthouse  service  are  now  as 
carefully  organized  as  any  in  Europe;  in  fact  (as  my 
Scotch  friend  put  it),  this  coast  is  as  well  lit  as  Regent 
Street,  and  in  clear  weather  a  vessel  need  never  drop 
one  light  without  picking  up  another.  Survey  work 
alone  costs  Finland  over  100,000  marks  a  year,  while 
there  are  no  less  than  182  lighthouses,2  many  of  the 
latter  being  stationed  in  the  crowded  archipelago  off 
the  coast.  Of  these  the  Bagskav  Light  (situated  on  a 
lonely  rock  far  out  at  sea)  is  the  most  modern,  being 
constructed  of  iron,  with  cemented  foundation  of  great 
depth.  This  lighthouse  cost  over  500,000  marks  to 
erect,  with,  owing  to  its  exposed  position,  the  loss  of 
many  lives. 

Uleaborg  (alias  Oulu)  was  the  terminus  of  my  journey 
and  the  last  town  I  visited  in  Finland,  for  it  is  situated 
only  a  few  miles  from  the  borders  of  Lapland.  A  few 
miles  north  of  Vasa  the  line  bisects  great  plains,  with 
sparse  belts  of  woodland,  and  the  cold,  crisp  air  of  the 
Arctic,  with  its  typical  scent  of  coarse  verdure  and 
lichens,  stole  in  at  the  carriage  windows.  Many  tourists 
would  surely  visit  these  parts  were  they  better  known ; 
for  although  other  parts  of  the  world  may  be  attractive, 
give  me  a  summer  in  the  Far  North,  with  its  bright, 
sunlit  days  and  calm  grey  nights  which  exhilarate  like 
champagne,  and  render  the  smoke  of  a  camp-fire  more 
fragrant  than  the  perfume  of  flowers.  Of  course  there 

1  At  one  spot  there  are  over  600  crowded  into  a  space  of  six  square 
miles. 
*  These  entail  a  yearly  expenditure  of  nearly  3,000,000  marks. 


FINLAND— IN  THE   COUNTRY         87 

are  mosquitoes,  but  they  are  a  minor  discomfort  com- 
pared to  the  mental  and  physical  benefits  to  be 
derived  from  such  perfect  climatic  conditions.  And 
winter  up  here  is  almost  as  enjoyable,  notwithstanding 
unpleasantly  low  temperatures  and  occasional  scarcity 
of  food.  To  paraphrase  a  famous  poet :  "If  you  have 
heard  the  North  a-calling  you  will  never  heed  aught 
else  !  '"  and  although  I  have  suffered  more  than  once 
in  frozen  regions  from  the  deadly  grip  of  cold  and 
hunger,  it  is  there  that  I  always  wish  to  return. 

Uleaborg  is  less  modern  than  other  Finnish  cities, 
and  its  old-fashioned  buildings  and  cobbled  streets 
were  more  suggestive  of  some  sleepy  English  seaport 
than  an  important  foreign  mercantile  centre.  The 
town,  however,  possessed  a  "  Societetshuset  "  of  such 
palatial  exterior  that  it  might  have  graced  the  shores 
of  a  Swiss  lake,  although  only  four  of  its  hundred  rooms 
were  occupied.  I  partook  of  a  meal  (facetiously  de- 
scribed as  "  dinner ")  in  a  huge  restaurant  which, 
although  deserted  save  for  a  solitary  waiter  and  myself, 
contained  an  empty  music  gallery,  which  loomed  sadly 
through  the  dusk.  This  leviathan  building  had  been 
erected  in  anticipation  of  many  guests,  which  the 
railway,  then  in  course  of  construction  to  the  Swedish 
frontier,  has  by  now,  let  us  hope,  provided. 

There  was  little  to  be  seen  here  of  interest  with  the 
exception  of  the  tar  stores  at  Toppila,  which,  although 
two  miles  away,  wafted  their  clean,  pungent  odour  into 
my  bedroom  at  the  hotel.  Steamers  of  every  nationality 
lay  alongside  the  quay,  loading  the  barrels  which  ex- 
tended for  half  a  mile  along  the  waterside,  for  70,000 
to  80,000  of  these  are  collected  every  summer  for 
exportation.  In  fact,  I  was  told  that  most  of  the  tar 
used  in  Europe  comes  from  here,  although,  like  "  Danish" 
butter,  it  is  known  as  "  Stockholm  tar." 

Captain  Ekholm  (who  has  resided  here  for  many 
years  and  to  whom  I  had  an  introduction)  gave  me 
some  interesting  facts  concerning  this  product,  the 
trade  in  which  has  declined  of  late  years,  owing  to  the 
increased  value  of  timber  and  scarcity  of  labour.  And 
I  learnt  that  tar  is  now  obtained  in  precisely  the  same 
manner  as  it  has  been  for  centuries  :  by  piling  timber 


88  RUSSIA  AS  I  KNOW  IT 

in  a  huge  stack  on  an  elevated  platform,  which  is 
bricked  over,  its  interior  sloping  inwards  from  every 
side  to  an  aperture  in  the  centre,  which  leads  into  a 
vat  below.  The  wood  is  then  covered  with  a  thick 
layer  of  earth  and  turf,  and  having  been  ignited  from 
below,  combustion  continues  until  the  pile  sinks  in. 
In  about  ten  days  the  tar  has  flowed  into  barrels  and  is 
ready  for  exportation. 

The  proprietor  of  the  Toppila  wharf  also  worked 
lumber  to  the  tune  of  about  £70,000  a  year,  and  I 
noticed  in  his  office  an  interesting  plan  showing  the 
various  exports  of  Finland  at  a  glance,  by  means  of 
numbered  cubes.  Timber  came  first  with  120,  wood 
pulp  and  cereals  at  38  each,  and  finally,  paper,  butter 
and  tar  at  28,  25  and  24  respectively.  Captain  Ekholm's 
distinguished  career  in  the  mercantile  navy  had  led  to 
his  appointment  as  Director  of  the  Naval  College  here, 
and  he  told  me  that  even  thirty  years  ago  25  per  cent, 
of  the  population  was  under  experienced  tuition. 
Uleaborg  boasted,  when  I  was  there,  of  seven  schools 
for  the  upper  and  middle  classes,  besides  five  for  the 
children  of  the  poor. 

My  informant  was  a  keen  sportsman,  in  whose  opinion 
Uleaborg  is  the  best  place  in  Finland  for  all-round 
sport,  the  Oulojoki,  near  by,  being  one  of  the  finest 
salmon  rivers  in  the  world,  yearly  producing  90,000 
marks  in  the  short  netting  season  from  June  to  the 
end  of  August.  Kajana,  on  Lake  Oulujarvi,  is  the 
easiest  place  to  fish  from,  and  there  is  a  comfortable 
inn,  where  rough  shooting  may  also  be  had.  The 
Kajana  river  teems  with  trout  and  grayling,  and  here 
the  best  flies  are  those  used  on  Scotch  rivers.  A  permit 
for  the  season  may  be  obtained  at  the  Kajana  Hotel 
for  about  sixteen  shillings,  wherefore  English  sports- 
men have  drifted  up  here  of  late,  and  their  number  is 
yearly  increasing.  Ekholm  related  an  amusing  anec- 
dote anent  one  of  these,  a  stout  and  choleric  Londoner, 
who  bitterly  complained  of  the  snail-like  pace  at  which 
he  was  driven  every  morning  to  the  place  of  sport. 
He  therefore  begged  the  village  pastor,  with  whom  he 
lodged,  to  acquaint  him  with  some  startling  Finnish 
oath  in  order  to  compel  the  shock-headed  lout  who 


FINLAND— IN  THE   COUNTRY        89 

drove  his  "  karra  "  to  quicken  the  pace,  and  the  re- 
quired expletive  was  smilingly  imparted.  Nor  was  it 
long  before  the  native  swear-word  was  put  into  requisi- 
tion, but  for  some  time  it  had  no  effect  whatever  on 
the  clodhopper's  stolid  brain.  "  Rakastansunia  !  "  re- 
peatedly yelled  the  infuriated  passenger,  finally  leaping 
to  the  ground  and  violently  seizing  the  driver,  who, 
with  an  expression  of  terror  on  his  face,  suddenly 
dropped  the  reins,  jumped  out  of  the  vehicle,  and  ran 
for  his  life  across  country,  while  the  horse  galloped  away 
down  the  road,  leaving  the  discomfited  sportsman 
stranded.  An  hour  later  an  exhausted,  but  still  en- 
raged, Briton  staggered  into  the  nearest  post-house 
(where  his  driver  had  taken  refuge),  and  explained 
what  had  occurred  to  the  postmaster,  who  spoke  a  few 
words  of  English.  "  Rakastansunia  !  "  repeated  the 
latter,  shaking  with  inward  laughter.  "  No  wonder  the 
lad  thought  you  had  taken  leave  of  your  senses  !  Why. 
it  means,  '  I  love  you  '  !  " 


CHAPTER  X 

THE    ARMY 

THE  Russian  Army  appears  to  be,  generally  speaking, 
an  unknown  quantity  in  England,  where,  at  the  present 
day,  no  two  persons  ever  seem  to  agree  regarding  its 
numerical  strength,  or  capacity  of  dealing  a  decisive 
blow  in  the  allied  cause.  One  man  will  declare  that 
Russia  must,  sooner  or  later,  annihilate  our  common 
foe,  while  another  will  assure  you  with  equal  confidence, 
that  our  ally's  position  was  hopeless  from  the  first, 
and  that  every  third  man  in  her  ranks  is  now  reduced 
to  fighting  with  a  scythe  !  The  truth  here  probably  lies, 
as  usual,  between  two  extremes,  and  a  brief  statement 
of  what  I  know,  from  personal  experience,  of  Russia's 
military  power,  may  perhaps  enable  the  reader  to  form 
a  clearer  conception  of  its  strength  and  organization  than 
the  vague  assertions  of  those  whose  knowledge  is  chiefly 
derived  from  English  newspapers. 

Let  us  first  clearly  realize  that  the  population  of  Russia 
is  now  180,000,000,  which  outnumbers  that  of  Germany 
by  well  over  100,000,000,  and  while  the  former  is  in- 
creased every  year  by  3,000,000,  the  latter  only  annu- 
ally adds  about  1,000,000  to  her  70,000,000.*  It  may 
therefore  not  unreasonably  be  assumed  that  a  nation, 
which  even  now  contains  60,000,000  people  more  than 
Germany  and  Austria-Hungary  combined,  and  must,  at 
the  present  rate  of  progression,  number  within  the  next 
fifty  years  something  like  300,000,000  souls,  is  not  likely 
to  experience  a  shortage  of  men  for  the  purpose  of  carry- 
ing on  the  present  campaign,  even  should  the  latter  be 
indefinitely  prolonged,  and  in  this  titanic  struggle  men, 

1  The  British  Empire  has  435,000,000  to  its  credit,  China  comes 
second  with  400,000,000  and  Russia  third  with  180,000,000.  Germany 
and  the  dual  monarchy  contain  about  120,000,000  souls. 

90 


THE  ARMY  91 

like  money,  must  tell  in  the  end.  Russia's  financial 
position  is  equally  satisfactory,  for  her  revenue  amounted 
in  1914  to  over  £350,000,000  exclusive  of  the  French 
loans  obtained  since  the  Japanese  War,  which  were 
chiefly  expended  on  the  army  and  navy.  Above  all, 
Russia  is  entirely  a  self-supporting  country,  and  as  the 
billions  of  tons  of  grain  which  were  formerly  exported  to 
all  parts  of  the  world  now  remain  within  the  empire, 
the  latter  is,  unlike  other  belligerent  nations,  suffering 
not  from  a  scarcity,  but  a  superabundance  of  food.  For 
it  is  an  undisputed  fact  that  Siberia  alone  could  feed 
the  whole  of  Europe.1 

Russian  military  service  begins  at  the  age  of  twenty 
and  ends  at  forty-three.  About  250,000  men  annu- 
ally come  up  for  enrolment,  and  of  these  only  undeniably 
strong  and  healthy  recruits  are  chosen,  many  being 
rejected  for  trivial  ailments  or  infirmities  which  in  any 
other  country  would  pass  unnoticed  by  a  Medical 
Board,  although  the  standard  of  height  is  very  low, 
being  five  feet  for  the  line,  and  three  inches  higher  for 
the  cavalry.  Russia  has  in  peace-time  not  one,  but  three 
distinct  armies  :  those  of  Europe,  Asia  and  the  Caucasus, 
which  in  the  aggregate  amount,  on  a  war  footing,  to 
about  8,000,000  men,  this  number  including  the 
reserves,  but  not  the  Cossacks  or  "  Opolchenie  "  (a  kind 
of  "  Landsturm  "),  which  may  collectively  be  estimated 
at  another  2,000,000.  The  latter  is  practically  a 
territorial  force,  divided  into  two  classes  :  the  first 
including  not  only  men  who  have  served  their  time  in  the 
line  and  reserve,  but  also  young  recruits  who  have  been 
rejected  as  being  superfluous  from  the  regulars;  and  the 
second,  the  levy  en  masse,  which  is  only  raised  in  war- 
time, when  those  previously  exempted  for  various 
reasons  are  called  up  to  join  the  colours.  Besides  all 
these,  about  50,000  men  are  permanently  employed  to 
guard  the  railways,  and  there  are  also  about  30,000 
**  Gendarmerie,"  both  these  forces  being  composed  of  old 
soldiers  drafted,  on  attaining  a  certain  age,  from  more 
active  branches  of  the  service. 

1  It  is  estimated  that  Russia  grows  51  per  cent,  of  the  rye,  25  per 
cent,  of  the  oats,  33  per  cent,  of  the  barley,  and  22  per  cent,  of  the 
wheat  harvested  all  over  the  world. 


92  RUSSIA  AS  I  KNOW  IT 

A  Russian  line  regiment 1  numbers  in  peace-time 
2000,  and  on  campaign  no  less  than  4000  men,  and 
ordinary  cavalry  regiments  have  six  squadrons  of 
1000  men,  but  Cossack  units  have  only  600  troopers 
divided  into  "  sotnias "  of  about  125  each.  An 
army  corps  is  composed  of  from  200,000  to  300,000 
men  (on  a  peace  footing),  and  these  are  stationed 
at  Petrograd,  Moscow,  Kieff  and  other  large  cities. 
There  are  also  one  in  Finland,  one  in  the  Caucasus, 
and  two  in  Central  Asia.  A  division  is  composed  of 
two  brigades  of  two  regiments  of  four  battalions,  also 
an  artillery  brigade  of  field  batteries  with  ammunition 
columns,  engineer  train  and  half  a  dozen  "  sotnias  "  of 
Cossacks. 

An  artillery  brigade  has  six  batteries  and  each  of  the 
latter  eight  three-inch  field-guns,  the  horse  artillery 
being  provided  with  quick-firing  Schneider-Creuzots  of 
three-inch  calibre.  What  Russia  now  chiefly  lacks  is 
heavy  siege  armament,  most  of  that  which  she  possesses 
having  been  made  by  Krupp  of  Essen,  although  the 
Russian  arsenals  at  Obukoft  and  Sestoretsk  are  also 
providing  a  rapidly  increasing  supply  in  addition  to 
that  which  is  being  obtained  from  Japan  and  has  been 
captured  from  the  enemy. 

The  Russian  cavalry  includes  sixteen  divisions,  in 
addition  to  the  two  Life  Guards  divisions  (sixteen  regi- 
ments) and  four  brigades  of  two  regiments  each.  Each 
division  has  two  brigades,  and  each  brigade  has  two  regi- 
ments. Every  division  is  composed  of  dragoons,  uhlans, 
hussars,  and  Cossacks.  The  cavalry  is  now  provided 
with  machine-guns,  and  its  training  and  equipment  have 
frequently  been  admired  at  manoeuvres  by  foreign  mili- 
tary attaches,  while  London  has  also  occasionally  seen 
the  first  prize  for  horsemanship  carried  off  by  its 
officers  at  Olympia.  For  those  in  crack  regiments  pay 
enormous  prices  for  their  chargers,  many  of  which  are 
English  or  Irish  thoroughbreds  by  the  most  fashionable 
sires. 

The  indigenous  Siberian  tribes  are  exempt  from 
military  service;  but  there  are,  of  course,  many  alien 

1  A  regiment  is  called,  in  Russian,  a  "  polk,"  from  which  the  word 
"  polka,"  signifying  a  dance,  was  probably  derived. 


THE   ARMY  93 

races  fighting  for  the  Tsar,  such  as  Circassians,  Turko- 
mans, Kirghiz  and  others,  while  the  Jews  have  done  so 
well  in  this  war  that  they  are  now  (for  the  first  time  in 
history)  allowed  to  rank  as  non-commissioned  officers. 
The  "  moujik,"  however,  as  I  have  said,  is  the  backbone 
of  the  nation,  and  he  is  also  that  of  the  army;  which 
latter  is  almost  entirely  composed  of  the  peasantry, 
who,  even  in  time  of  peace,  lead  a  life  of  privation 
and  endurance  which  admirably  fits  them  for  the 
severer  hardships  and  perils  of  a  campaign.  Besides, 
as  I  have  already  remarked,  the  moujik  has  little  or 
no  fear  of  death,  which,  after  all,  is  a  soldier's  chief 
qualification. 

"  Ivan  "  (as  the  Russian  linesman  is  nicknamed)  is 
as  brave  as  a  lion,  and  generally  sturdy  and  muscular, 
but  he  lacks  the  jovial,  contented  look  of  our  English 
;t  Tommy,"  and  is  indeed  of  a  rather  surly  demeanour, 
only  enjoying  a  joke  if  it  be  of  a  very  broad  and  obvious 
kind.  Also,  according  to  our  ideas,  he  is  anything  but 
well  fed,  his  diet  chiefly  consisting  of  "  schtchi,"  fish  and 
rye  bread,  yet  he  seems  to  thrive  upon  this  meagre  fare, 
which  would  certainly  not  satisfy  the  average  English- 
man. And  "Ivan  "  must  now  sadly  miss  the  "  vodka" 
which  formerly  enlivened  his  rather  colourless  existence ; 
although,  on  the  other  hand,  he  is  passionately  fond  of 
music,  and  is  seen  at  his  best  when,  at  the  end  of  a  day's 
march,  the  men  gather  around  the  camp-fire  for  the 
national  and  inspiriting  songs  and  dances  which  they  love 
so  well.  Many  line  regiments  are  preceded  by  a  trained 
choir  as  well  as  a  band,  and  the  former  is  generally 
preferable,  for  Russian  military  music  is,  with  few  excep- 
tions, brassy  and  inferior. 

Yet  "  Ivan  "  takes  even  his  pleasures  sadly;  not  that 
they  ever  amount  to  much,  for  his  daily  pay  is  even 
less  than  that  of  the  French  poilu  (who,  in  some  cases, 
receives  only  a  sou  a  day),  and  no  games  or  recreations 
of  any  kind  are  provided  for  him  when  in  barracks.  In 
peace-time,  however,  he  can  in  his  leisure  hours  earn  a 
few  extra  kopeks  by  working  for  private  employers, 
and  this  is  his  sole  privilege,  with  which,  being  ever  stolid 
and  uncomplaining,  he  appears  to  be  quite  content. 
But  for  all  his  rough  and  uncouth  exterior,  "  Ivan  "  has  a 


94  RUSSIA  AS  I  KNOW  IT 

generous  nature  and  warm  heart,  and  is  therefore  seldom 
cruel  or  vindictive  towards  a  fallen  foe.  An  example 
of  his  unfailing  good-nature  even  on  the  battlefield  was 
only  recently  shown  when,  upon  an  order  being  given 
that  all  prisoners  found  with  explosive  bullets  in  their 
possession  were  to  be  shot  forthwith,  a  Russian  officer 
detected  some  of  his  men  in  the  act  of  trying  to  conceal 
some  of  the  latter  which  had  been  secretly  handed  to 
them  by  their  Austrian  captives. 

There  is  a  Russian  expression  which,  when  used  in 
the  army,  has  a  totally  different  meaning  to  when  it 
is  spoken  by  civilians.  This  is  the  word  "Tak"  (the 
military  significance  of  which  is  somewhat  akin  to  that 
of  our  slang  word  "Righto"),  the  Russian  soldier's 
invariable  reply  when  instructed  to  carry  out  an  order, 
whether  it  be  to  storm  a  citadel  or  bring  some  shaving 
water.  And  either  command  will  be  cheerfully  obeyed ; 
for  whatever  he  is  told  to  do,  the  Russian  soldier  will  do 
it,  even  though  it  involve  his  own  destruction,  as  is 
shown  by  the  following  incident  which  was  related  to  me 
by  an  artillery  colonel,  who  had  himself  seen  it  during  the 
Russo-Turkish  War.  On  a  certain  occasion,  near  Plevna, 
it  became  necessary,  at  a  critical  moment,  to  move  some 
field-pieces  across  a  deep  swamp,  where  no  wood  or 
faggots  were  obtainable  to  make  a  passage  for  the  guns. 
Volunteers  were  therefore  called  for  from  an  infantry 
regiment  to  serve  this  purpose,  and  a  number  of  men  at 
once  left  the  ranks  and  lay  face  downwards  in  the  mud, 
while  several  batteries  galloped  over  their  prostrate 
bodies,  the  guns  and  horses  crushing  and  trampling 
most  of  them  to  death  !  And  I  could  cite  several  other 
instances  of  heroic  self-sacrifice,  in  the  Russian  ranks, 
which  are  certainly  unsurpassed  in  the  military  annals  of 
any  other  nation. 

During  the  reign  of  Peter  the  Great  the  Russian 
Army  was  modelled  upon  German  lines,  a  system  which 
continued  until  the  accession  of  Alexander  II.,  who  was 
such  an  ardent  admirer  of  Germany  that  the  latter 
provided  him  with  military  instructors,  some  of  whom 
(notably  Adlerberg  and  Todleben)  became  naturalized 
Russians,  whose  descendants  are  now  fighting  against 
their  former  compatriots.  In  former  days,  therefore, 


THE   ARMY  95 

both  drill  and  uniforms  emanated  from  Berlin,  and  it 
was  only  after  the  Emperor's  tragic  death  in  1878  that 
his  successor  introduced  the  plain  but  serviceable  dress 
of  to-day,  which  consists,  in  winter,  of  a  loose  drab  over- 
coat (of  the  same  material  as  that  worn  by  Siberian 
prisoners)  secured  by  a  leathern  belt,  and  a  circular 
fur  cap,  bearing  the  regimental  badge  or  number.  In 
summer  a  flat,  peakless  cap  and  loose  white  linen  blouse 
replace  the  thick  winter  tunic;  stout  high-boots,  into 
which  baggy  breeches  are  stuffed,  being  worn  through- 
out the  year.  This  may  not  sound  attractive,  yet  not- 
withstanding its  sombre,  drab  appearance,  and  the  rather 
slouching  gait  of  the  men,  a  Russian  line  regiment  on  the 
march  has  a  tough-looking,  workman-like  aspect  which 
amply  atones  for  outward  pomp  and  display.  Some  of 
the  cavalry,  of  course,  have  brilliant  tunics  and  facings, 
the  olive-green  and  magenta  of  that  crack  regiment 
the  Grodno  Hussars  being  almost  startling,  while  the 
"Chevaliers  Gardes"  wear  an  even  more  dazzling  and 
expensive  uniform  than  that  of  the  Kaiser's  Imperial 
Guard. 

The  infantry  is  armed  with  a  five-cartridge  magazine 
rifle,  with  a  range  of  3000  yards,  and  although  at  first 
they  were  very  short  of  quick-firing  guns,  this  defect  has, 
as  in  England,  been  remedied.1  Russia  also  uses  a 
field-gun  closely  resembling  the  famous  "  75,"  which  is 
made  at  the  Creuzot  works  in  France,  and  is  being 
supplied  with  a  very  similar,  but  even  more  modern, 
weapon  by  the  Japanese.  But  the  Russian  prefers  cold 
steel  to  the  most  costly  and  accurate  rifle  ever  invented ; 
and  that  he  knows  how  to  use  the  former  was  proved  at 
Plevna,  when  that  almost  impregnable  fortress  was  taken 
chiefly  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet. 

I  have  many  personal  friends  in  the  Russian  Army, 
ranging  from  a  smart  and  dapper  captain  in  the  "  Che- 
valiers-Gardes "  to  a  rough  and  rugged  Cossack  colonel 
smothered  in  decorations,  who  before  this  war  was 
stationed  in  the  wilds  of  Central  Asia,  though  Heaven 
only  knows  where  he  is  now !  And,  having  occasionally 
been  entertained  as  a  regimental  guest,  I  have  had 

1  Great  Britain  uses  the  "  Lee-Enfield,v  Germany  the  "  Mauser  " 
rifle. 


96  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

opportunities  of  closely  studying  Russian  military  life, 
both  in  the  mess  and  barrack-room.  My  first  experience 
of  this  kind  was  some  years  before,  my  latest  five  years 
after,  the  Japanese  campaign,  which  terminated  in  such  a 
disastrous  Russian  defeat,  although  the  latter  proved  a 
blessing  in  disguise ;  for  had  it  not  occurred,  the  nation 
would  probably  have  remained  in  ignorance  of  its  urgent 
military  needs,  and  certain  reforms  which  have  now 
evolved  a  more  powerful  and  efficient  army  than  the 
nation  has  ever  possessed  might  never  have  taken 

Elace.  For  the  Japanese  War  was  lost,  not  from  any 
ick  of  bravery  or  enterprise  on  the  part  of  the  troops, 
but  from  the  sheer  incapacity  and  indifference  of  most 
of  their  generals,  some  of  whom  were  carousing  with 
French  cocottes  in  Mukden,  while  their  presence  was 
urgently  needed  at  the  front.  Moreover,  thousands 
of  Russian  soldiers  in  the  Japanese  campaign  practi- 
cally died  of  starvation  owing  to  a  deficient  transport 
and  commissariat,  and  the  latter  even  now  is  far 
from  being  perfect,  although  the  medical  branches 
of  the  service  have  been  thoroughly  reformed  and 
reorganized.1 

The  Russian  officer  is  as  brave  as  he  is  hospitable 
(which  says  a  great  deal),  but  it  is  only  of  recent  years 
that  his  attention  has  been  turned  to  serious  professional 
studies  which  were  formerly  almost  entirely  neglected, 
even  in  such  important  branches  as  the  artillery  and 
engineers.  But  such  a  change  has  now  taken  place  not 
only  in  the  discharge  of  his  professional  duties,  but  also 
in  his  mode  of  life,  that  I  was  amazed,  on  the  occasion 
of  my  last  visit  to  a  regiment  which  I  had  known  in  the 
old  "  happy-go-lucky  "  days,  to  behold  such  a  complete 
transformation  in  such  a  short  space  of  time.  When  I 
first  went  to  Russia,  thirty  years  ago,  the  higher  branches 
of  military  science  were  studied  only  by  a  select  and 
zealous  few,  who  were  generally  laughed  at  by  ribald 
companions  for  their  pains.  Drill  occupied  a  few  hours 
in  the  morning,  after  which  the  afternoon  and  evening 
were  generally  devoted  to  women,  cards  and  champagne, 

1  So  inefficient  was  the  Russian  Commissariat  during  the  Crimean 
War  that  of  60,000  men  who  marched  in  winter  from  Moscow  to  Sebas- 
topol,  only  12,000  reached  their  destination. 


THE   ARMY  97 

not  only  by  gay  and  giddy  subalterns  but  also  their 
grey-haired  elders  holding  high  commands,  and  I  often 
wondered  how  even  the  latter  could  habitually  indulge  in 
such  reckless  extravagance,  seeing  that  a  general  then 
received  about  the  equivalent  of  a  British  major's  pay.1 
In  the  old  days,  an  adjournment  was  invariably  made  after 
dinner  to  a  theatre,  music-hall,  or  some  less  reputable 
resort  of  a  garrison  town ;  but  during  my  last  visit  I  was 
left  to  my  own  devices  on  the  first  evening  after  mess,  my 
host  and  his  brother  officers  having  excused  themselves 
on  the  plea  of  having  to  attend  a  lecture  on  tactics  ! 
And  this  occurred  nearly  every  night,  while  most  of  the 
day  was  taken  up  with  severe  outdoor  work,  for  the 
Russian  officer  of  every  rank  is  now  as  keen  to  acquire 
scientific  and  technical  knowledge  as  he  formerly  was 
to  indulge  in  frivolity  and  dissipation. 

And  this  salutary  condition  of  affairs  is  certainly 
partly  due  to  the  fact  that  champagne  is  now  as  rarely 
seen  on  a  mess-table  as  "  vodka  "  in  the  canteen.  For 
even  twenty  years  ago  a  man  who  could  not  freely 
dispose  of  alcohol  was  regarded  as  rather  a  milksop, 
and  I  retain  a  lively  recollection  of  a  certain  dinner 
with  the  gallant  -  -  Hussars  in  Warsaw  when,  being 
the  only  guest,  I  had  to  drink  the  health,  separately,  of 
every  officer  present.  And  when  I  had  been  compelled 
to  partake  of  every  sort  of  wine,  followed  by  coffee  and 
liqueurs,  a  huge  silver  bowl  was  borne  in,  into  which  all 
the  fruit  left  at  dessert  was  first  placed,  and  the  dregs 
of  every  decanter  and  wine-glass  on  the  table  emptied, 
together  with  a  quart  of  cognac,  which  was  then  set  on 
fire  !  Having  rashly  imbibed  some  of  this  mixture,  I  was 
suddenly  tilted  from  my  chair  by  several  young  officers, 
who  then  formed  a  ring,  laid  me  on  their  clasped  hands, 
and  tossed  me  violently  up  and  down  on  this  substitute 
for  a  blanket !  This,  I  was  afterwards  informed,  was 
considered  a  great  honour,  but  it  was  nevertheless  one 
with  which  I  could  willingly  have  dispensed  as  a  sequel 
to  such  a  "  wet  "  evening  !  But  those  nights  of  riotous 
revelry  are  now  relegated  to  the  past,  for  those  who  once 
indulged  in  them  (and  especially  the  new  type  of  Russian 

1  The  scale  of  officers*  pay  in  the  Russian  Army  has  now  been 
increased. 
H 


98  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

officer)  are  quite  as  deeply  impressed  with  the  vital 
importance  of  their  mission  in  life  as  their  comrades  in 
the  armies  of  Great  Britain  or  France. 

The  friendly,  not  to  say  familiar,  relations  which  here 
exist  between  officers  and  men  could  never  exist  else- 
where in  Europe.  Even  a  general  coming  on  parade 
greets  his  men  as  "  brothers,"  and  a  captain  acknow- 
ledges the  salute  of  a  private  of  his  company  with  studied 
politeness,  and  as  though  the  latter  were  one  of  his  own 
rank  and  class.  And  yet  a  man  while  talking  to  an 
officer,  even  for  a  lengthened  period,  must  not  for  an 
instant  lower  his  hand,  this  being  probably  a  survival 
of  the  discipline  which  was  once  as  severe  here  as  it  is 
to-day  in  Germany.  There  is  even  a  legend  that  a  former 
Tsar  once  sent  off  an  entire  regiment  of  dragoons  to 
Siberia,  without  permitting  them  to  return  to  barracks, 
simply  because  they  failed  to  perform  a  certain  manoeuvre 
to  his  liking  at  a  Petrograd  review.  And  although  at 
the  present  day  officers  and  men  off  duty  frequently 
address  each  other  as  "  Brother  "  and  "  Little  Father  " 
respectively,  discipline  is  never  really  relaxed ;  for  even 
in  time  of  peace,  a  soldier  who,  even  when  intoxicated, 
insults  his  superior  officer,  is  at  once  tried  by  court-martial 
and  very  often  shot.  Such  a  breach  of  respect  is,  how- 
ever, of  very  rare  occurrence ;  for  the  mere  fact  that  men 
are  treated  as  their  friends,  even  by  field  officers,  pre- 
cludes the  former  from  taking  a  liberty,  and  one  who 
did  so  would  certainly  be  severely  handled  by  his 
comrades. 

Whenever  I  express  my  sincere  admiration  for  the 
Russian  Army  to  its  English  detractors  they  almost  in- 
variably reply  :  "  Yes,  but  how  easily  it  was  beaten  in 
the  Japanese  War  !  "  without  apparently  taking  into 
consideration  three  important  reasons  for  its  defeat  on 
that  occasion,  viz. :  (1)  the  incapacity  of  its  commanders  ; 

(2)  the  enormous  distance  (6000  miles)  from  its  base ;  and 

(3)  that  the  war  was  a  very  unpopular  one,  for  half  the 
army  did  not  know  what  they  were  fighting  for,  or  even 
against,  some  of  the  wilder  Siberian  troops  picturing  the 
foe  as  a  fiery  dragon  of  stupendous  proportions  and 
power  !     Russia  was  also,  at  that  time,  seriously  ham- 
pered by  internal  dissension  which  compelled  the  military 


THE   ARMY  99 

authorities  to  retain  a  number  of  troops  in  Europe,  whose 
services  were  urgently  required  in  the  Far  East.  She  is 
now,  however,  fighting  a  traditional  enemy  whom  even 
little  children  instinctively  revile  and  detest,  while 
every  man  in  the  country  is  well  aware  that  not  only 
his  freedom,  but  his  very  existence,  is  at  stake.  Above 
all,  the  strategical  conditions  are  now  as  much  in  Russia's 
favour  as  they  were,  in  Manchuria,  the  reverse,  while 
her  troops  acquired  as  much  useful  military  knowledge 
and  experience  during  the  Japanese  campaign  as  England 
after  the  South  African  War. 

But  anyway,  Russia  has  now  happily  become  our 
staunch  friend  and  ally,  wherefore  it  is  satisfactory  to 
reflect  that,  except  on  two  occasions,  she  has  never  met 
with  what  can  be  called  a  really  decisive  defeat.  On  the 
other  hand,  she  successfully  resisted  Napoleon  for  years, 
and  eventually  drove  him  out  of  the  country  with  heavy 
loss ;  while  in  1878  she  completely  routed  the  Turks,  and 
would,  if  not  restrained  by  the  Powers,  have  occupied, 
if  not  annexed,  Constantinople.  Nor  must  one  forget  her 
brilliant  military  successes,  against  formidable  odds,  in 
Central  Asia  and  the  Caucasus,  the  once  hostile  races 
of  which  have  now  become  peaceful  and  prosperous 
Russian  subjects.  To  use  a  slang  term,  Russia,  in  the  end, 
always  "  comes  out  on  top,"  although  at  the  outset  of 
hostilities,  and  probably  from  characteristic  indolence 
engendered  by  semi- Oriental  methods,  she  generally  gets 
the  worst  of  it.  The  most  crushing  reverse,  however, 
never  seriously  affects  her,  for  the  Russians  are  fatalists 
who,  however  gloomy  the  outlook,  never  give  way  to 
despair,  being  firmly  convinced  that,  whatever  happens 
in  this  world,  in  the  shape  of  good  or  evil,  is  the  will  of 
God,  and  must  therefore  be  submissively  endured.  And 
this,  in  warfare,  is  a  wonderful  consoler  at  times  of 
depression  and  defeat. 

Every  one  in  England  is  naturally  anxious  to  have  done 
with  the  war,  and  I  therefore  constantly  hear  my  com- 
patriots express  their  impatience  at  the  apparent  slowness 
of  our  ally's  operations  on  the  Eastern  front ;  yet  this 
fact  should  never  cause  disappointment  or  anxiety,  for 
(as  I  well  know  !)  no  Russian  was  ever  yet  in  a  hurry, 
and  time,  to  him,  is  therefore  of  no  importance  so  long 


100  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

as,  in  the  end,  he  achieves  his  object.1  It  must  also  be 
remembered  that  Russia  cannot  yet  employ  more  than 
about  a  quarter  of  her  forces  simply  because  she  cannot 
equip  and  arm  the  remainder.  No  less  than  18,000,000 
men  are  available,  and  12,000,000  of  these  are  at 
present  idle,  and  must  remain  so  until  the  munition 
workers  of  other  countries  enable  them  to  take  their 
place  in  the  ranks.  Russia's  offensive  is  therefore  at 
present  only  in  its  initial  stage,  for  if  the  other  Allies 
have  now  all  they  need  in  the  shape  of  heavy  armament, 
the  former  is  still  very  inadequately  supplied.  A  Rus- 
sian friend  of  the  writer  not  inaptly  described  his  country 
under  present  conditions,  as  an  ocean,  the  incoming 
tide  of  which  breaks  upon  an  ironbound  coast  only 
to  recede,  and  presently  return  with  redoubled  volume 
and  strength.  So,  he  declared,  will  his  countrymen 
come  on,  again  and  again,  until  the  Hun  defences 
are  worn  away,  and  that  accursed  race  is  submerged 
for  ever. 

For  the  Russian,  like  the  British  soldier,  never 
knows  when  he  is  beaten.  "  Ivan  "  will  go  on  fighting  as 
bravely  as  a  lion  and  stubbornly  as  a  mule  indefinitely, 
if  need  be;  and  that  is  why,  with  such  inexhaustible 
reserves,  he  must  eventually  wear  down  the  enemy, 
who  is  nothing  like  his  equal  in  point  of  numbers,  and 
is,  moreover,  confronted  by  three  grim  forces  which  in 
the  end  repelled  even  Napoleon  :  distance,  hunger,  and 
cold.  We  in  England  can  only  faintly  realize  Russia's 
latent  but  prodigious  power,  or  conceive  the  overwhelm- 
ing masses  of  troops  which  she  can  continue  to  throw  into 
the  field,  if  necessary,  for  the  next  twenty  years.  And 
who  can  blame  our  lack  of  knowledge  when  the  Russian 
Government  itself  occasionally  underrates  its  military 
resources,  as  is  shown  by  the  fact  that,  a  few  months 
ago,  the  authorities  decided  to  call  up  a  territorial  class 
which,  it  was  calculated,  would  yield  something  like 

1  Their  proverb,  "  What  is  slowly  done,  is  well  done,"  is  exemplified 
by  a  peasant  who,  when  making  a  horse-yoke  out  of  a  birch  bough, 
was  slowly  bending  the  latter  to  its  required  shape  by  the  aid  of  steam, 
when  a  bear  standing  by,  thinking  to  accomplish  the  job  more  rapidly, 
snatched  the  wood  away  and  crushed  it  with  such  force  that  it  smashed 
into  splinters. 


THE  ARM Y  /  -  L  5 1  -;     K 

400,000  men,  and  the  call  was  promptly  answered  by 
nearly  1,000,000  ! 

It  may  not  be  generally  known  that  the  present  re- 
forms in  the  Russian  Army  are  chiefly  due  to  the  personal 
influence  and  efforts  of  the  Ex-Tsar,  who  threw  himself 
heart  and  soul  into  a  work  for  which  His  Imperial 
Majesty's  military  knowledge  and  experience  have 
rendered  him  eminently  capable.  The  substitution, 
after  the  Japanese  War,  of  young  and  energetic  men  for 
aged  and  incapable  leaders,  was  almost  entirely  brought 
about  by  the  Emperor,  but  only  after  powerful  oppo- 
sition on  the  part  of  those  who  naturally  wished  to 
retain  their  lucrative  posts.  The  Kaiser  was  regarded  as 
a  man  of  unusual  strength  of  character  when  he  ruthlessly 
deposed  Prince  Bismarck,  but  the  Tsar  was  recently 
confronted  with  a  much  more  intricate  problem  before  he 
was  able  to  finally  expel  the  band  of  sycophants  (many  of 
German  origin)  who  had  surrounded  him  ever  since  his 
accession  to  the  throne,  and  who  were  chiefly  to  blame 
for  the  corrupt  condition  of  the  country  and  its  army. 
Nicholas  II.  was  also  mainly  responsible  for  an  increase 
in  the  pay  of  officers,  which  now  not  only  enables 
men  of  slender  means,  and  perhaps  superior  military 
qualities,  to  obtain  a  commission,  but  also  lessens  the 
temptation  to  pilfer  from  regimental  funds;  a  custom 
once  so  prevalent,  that  a  colonel  of  a  regiment  fre- 
quently amassed  huge  sums  of  money  by  tampering 
with  the  forage  for  his  horses  or  clothing  for  his  men. 
It  was  also  by  the  Tsar's  personal  intervention  that 
the  Russian  flying  corps,  which  has  recently  done 
such  useful  work,  was  entirely  remodelled  on  French 
lines. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that,  with  the  exception  of 
the  more  advanced  Socialists,  all  classes  of  society  in 
Russia  are  now  solidly  united  against  a  universally 
dreaded  and  detested  foe.  Every  Russian,  of  whatever 
creed  or  class,  regards  this  war  as  a  purely  national 
struggle,  and  enough  has  perhaps  been  said  to  convince 
the  most  confirmed  British  croaker  that  "  Russia's  case 
is  anything  but  hopeless,"  and  that  she  has  not  yet 
been  compelled  to  resort  to  agricultural  implements 
as  weapons  of  warfare  !  Moreover,  a  moment's  calm 


i*#.:         &USSIA  AS  I  KNOW  IT 

reflection  must  surely  show  him  that  a  nation  which 
steadily  continues  to  produce  ever-increasing  millions 
of  men,  and  possesses  such  inexhaustible  wealth  and 
resources,  can  never  be  really  or  decisively  conquered, 
either  now  or  in  the  far-distant  future. 


CHAPTER   XI 

CIVILIZED    SIBERIA 

PART  I 

HISTORY — THE    "  TRANS-SIBERIAN   RAILWAY  " — ON   THE 
CHINESE    FRONTIER 

FEW  people  in  England  ever  realize  the  stupendous 
size  of  the  Russian  Empire,  proudly  styled  by  its  people 
"  Polovina  Mir,"  or  "  Half  the  World,"  which  is,  of 
course,  an  exaggeration,  although  Russian  Asia  alone 
covers  an  area  of  nearly  6,000,000  square  miles. 
Mr.  George  Kennan,  the  American  traveller,  perhaps 
afforded  the  most  graphic  illustration  of  its  enormous 
extent  when  he  wrote  as  follows — 

"If  it  were  possible  to  move  entire  countries  from 
one  part  of  the  globe  to  another,  you  could  take  the  whole 
of  the  United  States  of  America,  from  Maine  to  Cali- 
fornia, and  from  Lake  Superior  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
and  set  it  down  in  the  middle  of  Siberia  without  touching 
anywhere  the  boundaries  of  the  latter  territory.  You 
could  then  take  Alaska  and  all  the  states  of  Europe, 
and  fit  them  into  the  remaining  margin  like  pieces  of  a 
dissected  map,  and  after  having  thus  accommodated 
all  of  the  United  States,  including  Alaska,  and  all  of 
Europe  (except  Russia),  you  would  still  have  more 
than  300,000  square  miles  of  Siberian  territory  to 
spare — in  other  words,  you  would  still  leave  unoccupied 
in  Siberia  an  area  half  as  large  again  as  the  Empire  of 
Germany  !  " 

And  all  this  is  exclusive  of  European  Russia,  which 
has  an  additional  area  of  over  200,000  square  miles  ! 

Thirty  years  ago,  before  the  completion  of  the  "  Trans- 
Siberian  Railway,"  Siberia  was  chiefly  regarded  in 

103 


104  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

England  as  a  vast  penal  colony,  to  which  political  exiles 
were  deported  under  atrociously  cruel  conditions.  In 
those  days,  only  a  few  capitalists  and  explorers  ever 
gave  a  thought  to  the  commercial  or  agricultural  possi- 
bilities of  a  country  which  was  practically  as  unknown 
to  the  majority  of  Englishmen  as  Central  Tibet,  and 
as  many  of  the  former  may  still  remain  in  ignorance  of 
the  facts  which  led  to  the  annexation  of  this  vast  and 
valuable  territory,  I  will  here  briefly  relate  them. 

Western  Siberia  was  conquered  in  1581,  by  a  few 
hundred  men  under  one  Yermak,  a  poor  illiterate 
Cossack,  who  with  a  handful  of  desperadoes  undertook 
the  daring  military  operations  destined  to  achieve  such 
marvellous  results.  Previously  to  this  Siberia  had  re- 
mained a  terra  incognita  even  in  Russia  until  the  middle 
of  the  sixteenth  century,  when  the  Tsar  Ivan  Vassili- 
vitch  sent  an  expedition  across  the  Urals,  defeating  a 
few  Tartars,  who,  however,  quickly  drove  the  invaders 
back  into  Europe.  Disheartened  by  this  reverse  the 
Tsar  next  attempted  to  open  up  trade  with  Persia,  but 
the  imperial  caravans  were  continually  pillaged  on  the 
road  by  lawless  Cossacks,  led  by  Yermak,  who,  however, 
was  eventually  defeated,  and  compelled  to  fly  from  his 
home  on  the  Don,  and  take  refuge  with  his  followers  on 
the  banks  of  the  Volga.  Here  Yermak  first  learnt  of 
the  existence  of  Siberia — which  was  described  to  him  as 
a  country  of  fabulous  wealth,  under  the  rule  of  Kout- 
choum-Khan,  whose  dominions  then  only  extended 
for  a  few  hundred  miles  east  of  the  Urals. 

So  it  came  to  pass  that  Yermak,  allured  by  visions 
of  fame  and  riches,  set  out  in  the  summer  of  1579  for 
the  unknown  El  Dorado,  with  an  armed  but  undis- 
ciplined rabble  of  5000  men,  whose  progress  was  so 
slow,  owing  to  lack  of  funds  and  transport,  that  over 
a  year  elapsed  before  they  crossed  the  Asiatic  frontier. 
Sickness,  hunger  and  privation  had  by  this  time  reduced 
them  to  under  1500  men,  whom  Koutchoum-Khan 
unexpectedly  engaged  with  a  formidable  Tartar  force 
just  over  the  border.  The  battle  which  ensued  was  a 
desperate  one,  but  although  confronted  by  enormous 
odds,  the  gallant  little  band  of  Russians  completely 
routed  their  foes.  Yermak  then  pushed  on  and  occupied 


CIVILIZED   SIBERIA  105 

Sibir,  where  he  was  installed  as  "  Prince  of  Siberia  "  by 
his  few  remaining  companions. 

Here  the  invaders  enjoyed  for  a  time  a  well-earned 
rest,  until  Tartar  intrigues  caused  further  trouble,  which 
urgently  necessitated  outside  aid.  A  trusty  emissary 
was  therefore  dispatched  to  Moscow  to  explain  matters, 
and  announce  that  Siberia  had  been  conquered  solely 
in  the  name  of  the  Tsar.  Nevertheless,  the  envoy 
approached  the  Holy  City  with  serious  misgivings,  for 
there  was  not  only  a  reward  offered  for  the  capture  of 
his  chief,  dead  or  alive,  but  also  for  all  his  followers. 
Ivan  the  Terrible,  however,  on  hearing  the  joyful  and 
amazing  news,  granted  every  outlaw  a  free  pardon, 
dispatched  a  large  body  of  troops  to  their  assistance, 
and  simultaneously  conferred  wealth  and  the  highest 
honours  upon  their  adventurous  chief,  whose  name  is 
now  almost  as  revered  throughout  the  nation  as  that 
of  Peter  the  Great.  And  amongst  the  princely  gifts 
with  which  the  messenger  returned  to  his  leader  at  Sibir 
was  the  suit  of  golden  armour  which,  only  a  few  months 
later,  unhappily  caused  the  death  of  its  brave  recipient. 

The  latter,  now  emboldened  by  the  presence  of  imperial 
troops,  recommenced  operations  by  laying  siege  to  a 
small  fortress,  which  was  expected  to  offer  little  resist- 
ance, on  the  Irtysh  river.  The  Tartars,  however,  had 
in  the  meantime  so  successfully  reformed  their  scattered 
forces,  that  Yermak  unexpectedly  encountered  a  hornets' 
nest,  which  compelled  him  to  fall  back  in  disorder, 
closely  pursued  by  the  enemy,  to  his  base  at  Sibir. 
And  during  the  retreat  thousands  of  Russians  were  slain, 
until  one  night  Yermak  and  a  little  band  of  men  sought 
refuge  on  a  small  islet  of  the  Irtysh,  intending  to  resume 
their  flight  at  dawn.  But  when  the  fugitives,  exhausted 
by  a  long  and  harassing  day,  had  fallen  asleep,  a  force  of 
Tartars  silently  landed  and  fell  upon  them  so  suddenly 
that  only  one  man  escaped,  under  cover  of  the  darkness, 
to  Sibir,  with  news  of  the  disaster  in  which  his  chief 
had  perished.  The  latter  had  fought  fiercely  to  the  last, 
cutting  his  way  through  serried  masses  of  the  enemy, 
before  plunging  into  the  river,  where  he  endeavoured  to 
board  one  of  the  boats  which  the  latter  had  occupied. 
But  the  craft  was  moored  some  distance  from  the  shore, 


106  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

and  Yermak  was  dragged  under  water  to  his  death  by 
the  weight  of  the  massive  golden  armour  which  had  been 
presented  to  him  by  the  Tsar. 

The  next  expedition  dispatched  to  Siberia  was  of 
such  formidable  proportions  that  it  met  with  hardly 
any  opposition,  and  speedily  re-established  Muscovite 
rule  throughout  the  province  of  Sibir.  The  work  of 
annexation  was  then  extended,  and  fortresses  erected 
at  Tobolsk,  Tara,  and  other  strategic  points  from  which 
the  stream  of  conquest  flowed  eastward  apace.  Tomsk 
was  founded  in  1604  and  became  a  base  of  further 
extension,  while  the  now  important  town  of  Yeniseisk 
was  founded  in  1619,  and  that  of  Krasnoyarsk  eight 
years  later.  Armed  parties  then  marched  on  to  Lake 
Baikal,  and  thence  to  the  valley  of  the  Lena,  erecting 
stockades  and  subduing  natives  either  by  peaceful  or 
forceful  persuasion.  Yakutsk  was  founded  in  1632, 
and  seven  years  later  the  Sea  of  Okhotsk  was  reached, 
although  the  Bouriattes  and  other  indigenous  tribes 
were  not  finally  overcome  until  about  the  middle  of 
the  seventeenth  century.  Thus,  in  the  short  space  of 
sixty  years,  and  mainly  through  the  courage  and  enter- 
prise of  one  man,  was  added  to  the  Russian  Empire  a 
territory  of  which  centuries  alone  can  truly  reveal  the 
prodigious  wealth. 

Siberia  is,  in  England,  generally  associated  with 
intense  cold  and  eternal  snow,  and  no  one  ever  seems  to 
picture  it  in  summer  garb,  when  it  becomes  one  of  the 
most  temperate  and  fertile  countries  in  the  world.  I 
have  been  there  at  every  season  of  the  year,  and  can 
therefore  testify  that  if  the  cold  has  occasionally  been 
beyond  endurance,  I  have  also  on  occasion  suffered 
severely  from  the  other  extreme,  a  fact  easily  explained 
in  this  land  of  stupendous  area,  and  therefore  innumer- 
able varieties  of  temperature.  Thus,  in  the  month  of 
June,  I  have  perspired  in  a  thin  flannel  suit  in  the  town 
of  Tomsk,  and,  a  few  weeks  later,  have  shivered  in  furs 
with  70°  below  zero  on  the  River  Lena  !  And  I  preferred 
the  cold,  for  in  Siberia  (as  in  European  Russia)  few 
precautions  are  taken  to  guard  against  heat. 

So  much  for  the  historical  and  physical  character- 
istics of  Siberia,  following  which  a  word  as  to  the  Trans- 


CIVILIZED   SIBERIA  107 

Siberian  Railway  may  not  be  out  of  place.  A  deal  of 
nonsense  has  been  written  about  the  latter  in  order  to 
attract  English  travellers  bound  to  Japan,  but  these 
should  beware  of  alluring  and  overdrawn  advertise- 
ments. Personally  I  should  always  choose  the  sea-route 
in  preference  to  that  across  Asia  in  cars  not  nearly  so 
well-appointed  as  those  of  the  "  Wagons  Lits  "  Company 
in  Europe.  I  have  travelled  to  the  Far  East  both  by 
land  and  by  liner  a  dozen  times,  and  give  me  the  latter 
in  preference  to  a  train  of  exasperating  slowness,  where 
the  outlook  from  your  carriage  window  from  Moscow 
to  Manchuria  is  ever  the  same  :  in  summer  a  dreary 
sunbaked  waste,  with  intervals  of  pine  forest ;  in  winter 
a  vista  of  perpetual  snow — both  being  so  monotonous 
that  after  a  fortnight  or  so  they  have  generally  reduced 
me  to  a  condition  of  apathetic  despair.  Climatically, 
the  journey  is  agreeable  enough,  especially  in  winter, 
when  Siberia  is  at  its  best,  and  when  on  most  days  there 
is  a  blue  sky  and  dazzling  sunshine  which,  at  midday, 
often  renders  your  heated  compartment  too  warm  to 
be  pleasant,  although  outside  the  thermometer  may 
register  20°  below  zero.  But  the  air  is  dry  and,  even 
with  a  breeze  (which  will  presently  be  torturing  Lon- 
doners in  the  shape  of  a  biting  east  wind),  sometimes 
actually  enjoyable.  On  the  other  hand,  the  food  is 
(or  was)  atrocious,  also  the  attendance;  and  although 
the  beds  are  comfortable  enough,  the  only  bath  in  the 
train  I  last  travelled  in  was  generally  used  as  a  receptacle 
for  storing  ice,  vegetables,  and  butcher's  meat,  and  was 
therefore  in  a  filthy  condition  when  put  to  its  proper 
use.  Fortunately  the  station  "  restaurants "  are  as 
perfect  as  they  are  in  Russia  (and  they  are  the  best 
in  the  world) ;  and  the  fares  are  extremely  moderate,  a 
first-class  ticket  from  Moscow  to  Irkutsk  (a  ten  days' 
journey)  costing  only  £15. 

It  was  in  1857  that  an  American  first  conceived  this 
great  railway,  and  although  his  project  was  abandoned, 
the  Russian  Government  took  careful  note  of  the 
original  surveys,  and  also  of  those  which  have  since 
been  made  with  a  similar  object  by  English  and  French 
engineers.  The  Trans-Siberian  was  undoubtedly  a 
colossal  achievement,  and  it  is  the  longest  railway  in  the 


108  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

world,  but  it  cannot  be  compared,  in  ingenuity  of  con- 
struction, with  the  Canadian  Pacific  line,  on  which  I 
have  also  frequently  travelled.  Yet  I  have  occasionally 
read  that  the  Russian  line  entailed  greater  difficulties, 
which  is  obviously  absurd,  for  this  track  is  mostly  as 
level  as  a  billiard-table,  only  the  region  around  Lake 
Baikal  and  eastward  of  it  being  mountainous.  Never- 
theless no  expense  has  been  spared  to  make  the  Trans- 
Siberian  (which  is  of  uniform  gauge  with  the  European 
lines)  as  perfect  as  circumstances  will  permit.  The 
bridges,  formerly  of  wood,  are  now  made  of  iron,  the  one 
over  the  Irtysh  being  nearly  four  miles  long ;  a  remark- 
able piece  of  engineering  which,  as  it  has  to  withstand 
enormous  ice  pressure,  entailed  an  enormous  expenditure. 
The  commercial  possibilities  of  the  Trans-Siberian 
cannot,  as  yet,  be  fully  estimated,  for  its  influence  on 
commercial  energy  must,  in  years  to  come,  affect  the 
remotest  part  of  Russian  Asia.  Even  now,  towns  of 
considerable  size  have  sprung  up  in  all  directions, 
although  the  country  is,  as  yet,  only  sparsely  peopled, 
its  entire  population  being  1,000,000  less  than  that  of 
London.  It  has  now,  however,  largely  increased,  and 
will  probably  continue  to  do  so  so  long  as  the  goldfields 
attract  prospectors,  and  foreign  emigrants  gradually 
realize  that  fortune  awaits  them,  not  only  underground, 
but  on  the  boundless  and  fertile  prairie.  I  should  explain 
that  as  regards  agriculture  Siberia  is  composed  of  three 
great  zones — the  upper  or  northern  one,  being  the 
"  Tundra,"  which  extends  across  the  country  for  about 
5000  miles,  and  is  useless  for  purposes  of  cultivation, 
for  in  summer  it  is  like  a  soft  wet  sponge,  into  which 
you  sink  knee-deep,  and  which  is  only  capable  of 
producing  mosquitoes.  Immediately  south  of  the 
"  Tundra  "  comes  the  "  Taiga,"  a  forest  belt  of  enor- 
mous extent,  which  contains  valuable  lumber  of  all  kinds, 
the  exploiting  of  which  will  be  greatly  increased  by  the 
facilities  afforded  by  railway  transport.  The  third  and 
most  important  zone  is  the  "  Steppe  "  region,  one  of 
unfailing  fertility  which  is  yearly  being  more  extensively 
brought  under  cultivation  and  where  the  soil  is  so  rich 
that,  as  Siberians  say,  "  When  tickled  with  the  hoe,  it 
laughs  with  a  harvest."  This  region  must,  in  the  near 


CIVILIZED   SIBERIA  109 

future,  attract  thousands  of,  not  only  Russian,  but 
foreign  capitalists,  for  the  purpose  of  farming,  horse 
and  cattle  breeding,  and  the  export  of  grain. 

Accidents  are  rare  on  the  Trans-Siberian,  but  even 
the  express  trains  travel  at  a  snail's  pace,  and  an  enor- 
mous staff  is  employed  to  keep  the  track  in  order.  The 
old  post-road  was  (as  I  can  testify)  rather  dangerous 
after  dark,  for  it  was  infested  with  runaway  convicts; 
but  the  railway  is  perfectly  safe  in  this  respect,  and  has 
never  yet  been  the  scene  of  a  "  hold-up."  It  is  only 
beyond  Irkutsk  that  the  laying  of  the  line  presented 
anything  like  serious  difficulties.  Lake  Baikal  was  the 
chief  stumbling-block,  and  for  a*  long  time  passengers 
had  to  cross  it  in  a  small  steamer,  preceded  in  winter 
by  an  ice-breaker,  but  the  line  now  skirts  the  southern 
shores  of  the  lake.  From  this  point  the  track  gradually 
ascends  until  it  reaches  the  Yablonoi  mountains,  where  it 
attains  its  highest  altitude  (3412  feet  above  sea-level), 
and  passes  through  a  region  of  impressive  beauty  and 
grandeur.  There  is  from  here  a  rapid  descent  to  the 
plains,  which  continue  until  the  Pacific  Ocean  is  reached 
at  Vladivostok,  where  the  first  stone  of  the  eastern 
terminus  was  laid  by  the  deposed  Tsar  (then  Tsarevitch) 
on  May  12,  1891. 

Let  me  now  describe  my  impressions  of  a  country  of 
which  I  had  shared,  up  till  my  first  visit,  the  vague  and 
generally  erroneous  notions  of  my  countrymen.  My 
initial  experience  of  a  Siberian  town  was  on  a  July  day 
at  Kiakhta,  on  the  Chinese  frontier,  which  I  reached  from 
the  great  wall  of  China,  after  a  five  weeks'  journey  across 
the  Gobi  Desert  in  a  camel-cart.1  This  was  before  the 
existence  of  the  railway,  and  the  voyage  which  followed 
across  Siberia  to  Europe  was,  therefore,  accomplished 
with  horses  in  a  "  tarantass,"  2  a  ramshackle  vehicle  on 
wheels  which  is  used  for  posting  in  summer-time. 

1  See  Pekin  to  Calais  by  Land,  by  the  author. 

2  "  A  tarantass  resembles  a  large  cradle  on   four  wheels.      It  is 
seatless,  about  seven  feet  long  by  five  feet  broad,  and  the  luggage 
is  packed  in  the  well  of  the  vehicle,  a  mattress  being  placed  over  the 
former  on  which  the  occupant  reclines.     There  is  a  hood,  from  which 
an  apron  is  fastened  to  the  driver's  seat  to  exclude  wind  and  rain, 
but  the  carriage  is  springless,  and  suspended  on  two  long  slender 
poles  "  (Pekin  to  Calais  by  Land,  by  the  author). 


110  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

The  little  town  of  Kiakhta  is  worthy  of  description, 
not  only  on  account  of  its  proximity  to  the  Mongolian 
frontier,  but  also  because  its  manners  and  customs 
formed  a  striking  contrast  to  other  Siberian  cities  which 
I  afterwards  visited,  and  which  have  greatly  improved, 
in  every  respect,  since  the  construction  of  the  great  iron 
road.  And  even  this  remote  place  (through  which  all 
the  overland  tea  from  China  passes)  was  a  revelation 
to  one  who  had  anticipated  finding,  at  most,  a  few  squalid 
huts  with  possibly  a  military  post,  for  even  this  would 
have  been  welcome  after  weeks  in  the  wilds  with  only 
Tartars  as  companions.  Judge,  therefore,  of  my  sur- 
prise when  I  rode  into  a  town  of  attractive  appearance, 
with  public  and  private  buildings,  well-kept  streets  and 
squares,  good  shops,  and  a  public  garden  with  a  band- 
stand !  There  were  two  or  three  churches ;  one  a 
handsome  building  (erected  by  the  local  tea-merchants), 
the  golden  altar  of  which  had  cost  £30,000,  while  its 
chime  of  bells  had  been  dragged  by  thousands  of  horses 
for  2000  miles  from  Europe.  Near  this  church  was  a 
new  and  imposing  brick  building  which  I  eventually 
discovered  was  a  college  attended  by  over  100  students. 

Having  no  letters  of  introduction,  I  went  to  the  so- 
called  inn  to  find  that  a  foul,  dark  room,  with  a  rickety 
table  and  two  wooden  chairs,  was  the  sole  accommoda- 
tion provided,  and  that  guests  must  find  their  own  bed 
and  refreshment.  But  there  were  then  no  inns  worthy 
of  the  name  in  even  the  largest  Siberian  cities  (except 
Irkutsk),  and  travellers  had  to  put  up  at  the  post- 
houses,  which  generally  contained  a  "  samovar,"  eggs 
and  black  bread,  although  even  these  were  unobtain- 
able in  the  malodorous  "  Hotel  Glembodski."  Towards 
evening,  therefore,  of  the  day  of  my  arrival  I  was 
literally  starving  in  a  land  of  plenty,  for,  being  a  Sunday, 
the  shops  were  shut,  and  I  could  not  purchase  provisions. 

So  I  strolled,  friendless  and  well-nigh  famished,  to 
the  public  garden,  where  the  band  of  a  Cossack  regiment 
was  performing  to  a  gaily-dressed  assemblage,  mainly 
composed  of  wealthy  tea-merchants  with  their  wives 
and  daughters,  the  latter  of  whom  sat  listening  to  the 
music  and  flirting  with  officers,  just  as  though  this 
had  been  some  French  or  German  watering-place.  One 


fBS| 


CIVILIZED   SIBERIA  111 

could  scarcely  realize  that  the  loneliest  desert  in  the 
world  was  only  a  couple  of  miles  distant,  or  that  this 
was  the  Chinese  frontier,  but  for  some  pigtailed  figures 
in  delicate  silken  robes  who  mingled  freely  with  that 
little  concourse  of  Europeans. 

The  Siberian  merchant  is  the  soul  of  hospitality,  as 
I  happily  discovered  when,  returning  supperless  to  my 
unclean  abode,  I  found  its  Polish  landlord  conversing 
with  a  frock-coated  individual  who  addressed  me  in 
French,  and  who,  on  hearing  of  my  troubles,  invited 
me  to  accompany  him  to  his  home,  an  offer  which,  as 
it  probably  meant  food,  I  gladly  accepted.  For  I  was 
now  feeling  actually  faint  from  hunger,  and  was  therefore 
much  relieved  to  observe,  on  passing  my  host's  dining- 
room,  that  supper  was  laid  for  a  number  of  people. 

My  friend  in  need  was  a  tea-merchant,  who  lived  in 
a  charming  house,  and  whose  wife's  refinement  and  good 
taste  were  indicated  by  her  drawing-room,  which  con- 
tained valuable  pictures  from  Europe,  and  porcelain 
and  other  works  of  art  from  China  and  Japan.  Here 
the  guests  assembled,  and  I  watched  their  tardy  arrival 
with  pardonable  anxiety,  seeing  that  every  minute  was 
now  increasing  the  discomfort  caused  by  prolonged 
abstention  from  food.  The  supper-table  which  had 
presented  such  an  inviting  aspect  was  therefore  upper- 
most in  my  thoughts,  and  my  heart  sank  when,  towards 
eleven  o'clock,  my  host  took  me  to  inspect  a  consignment 
of  tea-chests  which  were  stacked  in  the  yard,  and  which 
he  proceeded,  with  maddening  deliberation,  to  "  taste," 
by  driving  a  hollow  piece  of  metal,  like  a  cheese  scoop, 
into  each  case,  and  withdrawing  a  small  sample  !  How- 
ever, we  found,  on  returning  to  the  drawing-room,  that 
all  the  guests  had  assembled,  consisting  of  the  local 
"  ispravnik  "  and  his  wife — a  stout  and  stern- visaged 
lady,  a  Cossack  officer  then  quartered  in  Kiakhta,  three 
young  gentlemen  and  two  young  ladies  of  no  special 
interest,  a  poor  relation  from  nowhere  in  particular, 
and  two  professors,  one  of  music  and  the  other  of 
chemistry,  from  the  college.  Only  my  host  and  his 
pretty  wife  spoke  English,  and  the  Cossack  imperfect 
French,  which,  as  I  was  then  unacquainted  with  Russian, 
rather  restricted  my  conversational  efforts. 


112  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW  IT 

No  one  has  a  greater  admiration  for  Russian  life  and 
character  than  myself,  but  while  noting  the  many 
excellent  qualities  of  our  allies,  it  would  only  be  mis- 
leading to  ignore  their  few  defects.  And  one  of  these  is 
an  utter  disregard  of  punctuality  with  regard  to  meals— 
a  failing  which,  I  should  add,  is  chiefly  confined  to 
Siberia.  On  the  evening  in  question  nine  o'clock  was 
the  stipulated  hour  for  supper,  but  it  was  nearly  mid- 
night before  it  was  announced,  and  even  then  it  was 
only  with  reluctance  that  the  guests  left  a  game  of 
cards  which,  throughout  the  evening,  had  engrossed 
their  attention.  And  even  when  at  length  the  dining- 
room  was  reached  we  lingered  for  quite  half  an  hour 
around  a  side-table  set  out  with  salted  herrings,  salmon, 
cheese  and  caviare,  flanked  by  bottles  of  cognac, 
"  vodka,"  and  numerous  liqueurs.  Here  every  one 
gravely  drank  my  health,  turning  his  glass  up,  if  I 
did  not  drain  mine,  to  show  that  his  was  empty; 
with  the  result  that,  by  the  time  supper  was  served, 
I  had  been  compelled  to  absorb  about  a  dozen  glasses 
of  "vodka,"  a  fiery  liquid  which  cannot  be  drunk  with 
impunity. 

Supper  consisted  of  a  dish  of  mutton  cutlets  and  two 
diminutive  chickens,  a  slender  allowance  for  such  a 
numerous  company,  but  with  the  exception  of  bread 
and  sweet  biscuits,  there  was  no  other  form  of  solid 
nourishment.  There  was  no  lack,  on  the  other  hand, 
of  liquid  refreshment  in  the  shape  of  sweet  "  Sauterne  " 
and  sugary  port  wine  (the  latter  bearing  a  well-known 
English  label),  but  I  searched  in  vain  for  claret,  beer, 
or  even  water  to  slake  the  raging  thirst  induced  by 
highly-spiced  and  salted  "  zakouski."  Towards  3  a.m. 
the  ladies  retired,  leaving  the  men  to  gather  round 
the  table  and  finish  the  evening  (or  rather  morning)  in 
the  good  old-fashioned  way.  In  vain  I  protested  that 
I  never  touched  port,  and  that  alcohol  in  any  shape 
upset  me;  my  companions  ignored  all  excuses  and  in- 
sisted on  my  drinking  with  them  in  turn,  much  in  the 
same  way  that  the  immortal  Mr.  Jorrocks  and  his  hunts- 
man, James  Pigg,  drank  to  the  health  of  every  separate 
hound  in  the  pack  when  they  had  exhausted  every  other 
toast.  For  here,  when  the  Tsar,  Queen  of  England, 


CIVILIZED   SIBERIA  113 

Emperor  of  China  and  other  reigning  potentates  had  been 
duly  honoured,  these  Kiakhta  revellers  fell  back,  as  a 
last  resource,  on  their  "  noble  selves." 

It  must  have  been  about  5  a.m.   (for  it  was  broad 
daylight)  when  I  was  the  innocent  cause  of  a  discussion 
which  nearly  resulted  in  a  tragedy.     The  conversation 
having  turned  upon  duelling,  I  related  the  story  of  the 
three-cornered  duel  in  Midshipman  Easy,  which  afforded 
the  Cossack  so  much  amusement  that  he  retailed  the 
anecdote,    in   Russian,   for   the   benefit   of  the   college 
professors ;   each  of  whom  took  opposite  views  of  the 
question,  one  maintaining  that  this  mode  of  conflict  was 
permissible,  while  the  other  declared  that  it  was  cowardly 
and  unfair.     No  three  men,  argued  the  musician,  should 
be  allowed  to  fire  at  each  other,  for  one  of  them  must 
be    at    a    disadvantage;    and   the   argument  at    length 
became  so  heated  that  my  host  was  compelled  to  inter- 
fere.    The  Cossack  then  joined  in,  expressing  his  con- 
viction that  the  matter  could  only  be  settled  by  personal 
combat,  in  order  not  only  to  satisfy  the  honour  of  the 
disputants,  but  also  to  test  their  respective  theories. 
Nothing,  he  urged,  would  settle  the  matter  but  practical 
demonstration,  and  he  would  therefore  be  charmed  to 
fetch  his  duelling-pistols  and  make  a  third  !     But  for- 
tunately this  extreme  course  was  not  resorted  to,  for 
the  captain's  suggestion  seemed  to  suddenly  pacify  the 
combatants,  who  thereupon  shook  hands,  and  ended  by 
exchanging  vows  of  eternal  friendship. 

It  was  past  six  o'clock  when  we  separated,  English 
bottled  stout  being  previously  handed  round,  a  beverage 
which  then  cost  about  a  guinea  a  bottle  in  Kiakhta,  and 
was  drunk  out  of  wine-glasses  !  Then  everybody  kissed 
every  one  else  (a  trying  ordeal  to  which,  in  Siberia,  I 
have  since  frequently  had  to  submit),  and  I  retired  to 
rest — on  the  drawing-room  sofa,  for,  although  the  house 
was  luxuriously  furnished,  apparently  only  the  ladies 
were  provided  with  beds.  My  host  had  disappeared 
when  the  Cossack,  (who  had  consumed  more  liquor  than 
any  one  else),  buckled  on  his  sword  and  strolled  off  to 
morning  parade,  still  brooding  over  his  rejected  proposal, 
but  now  as  sober  as  a  judge.  The  professors  also  de- 
parted, arm  in  arm,  in  an  opposite  direction,  down  the 
i 


114  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW   IT 

now  sunlit  street.     So  ended  my  first  "  evening  party  " 
in  Siberia  ! 

All  this  occurred  some  years  ago,  and  I  have  merely 
mentioned  the  incident  in  order  to  show  that  social  life 
has,  in  Siberia,  greatly  changed  for  the  better,  since 
the  railway  has  brought  Europe  into  closer  touch  with 
these  outposts  of  civilization.  Such  an  evening  as  I 
have  described  would,  of  course,  be  impossible  under 
the  recent  restrictions,  nor  would  such  a  debauch  now 
be  tolerated  in  any  well-ordered  Siberian  household. 


PART   II 

IRKUTSK TOMS — KTOBOLSK 

Irkutsk,  which  lies  west  of  Kiakhta,  is  4000  miles 
from  Petrograd — a  journey  which  formerly  took  nearly 
three  months,  although  shortly  before  the  war  I  did 
it,  by  rail,  in  ten  days  !  It  is  called  the  "  Paris  of 
Siberia,"  but  I  must  confess  I  could  never  see  any 
resemblance  between  this  unfinished,  straggling  city 
and  the  gay  French  capital,  although  the  former  is 
picturesquely  situated  in  rugged  Alpine  scenery  between 
two  rivers,  the  mighty  Angara,  and  the  placid  little 
Irkut.  The  population  numbers  60,000  and  is  naturally 
rather  mixed,  for  in  the  market-place  you  may  see  the 
Celestial  elbowing  fur-clad  Yakutes,  and  Central  Asia 
shaking  hands  with  Japan.  The  natives  of  the  district 
are  Bourialtes,  who  are  Buddhists  and  speak  a  mixture  of 
Mongolian  and  Chinese,  although  they  are  more  in- 
telligent than  any  other  Siberian  race,  many  holding 
appointments  as  Government  officials. 

When  I  first  visited  Irkutsk  there  was  one  clean  and 
comfortable  inn,  which  has  now  disappeared,  to  give  place 
to  a  number  of  so-called  hotels,  all  equally  bad  and 
expensive,  which  the  railway  has  produced.  Of  these 
the  "  Metropole  "  is  perhaps  the  best;  but  although  the 
name  is  suggestive  of  a  gold-laced  porter  and  marble 
halls,  it  is  a  cheap,  jerry-built  building  with  an  atrocious 
cuisine  and  accommodation,  although  its  charges  are 
equal  to  those  of  the  Carlton.  On  the  last  occasion 


CIVILIZED   SIBERIA  115 

my  room  certainly  contained  an  iron  bedstead  (an  un- 
known luxury  in  the  old  days),  but  its  sheets  and 
pillows  bore  the  imprint  of  many  previous  guests,  and 
there  was  no  bathroom  in  the  house,  the  only  washing 
appliance  in  my  apartment  being  a  brass  tap  fixed  into 
the  wall,  which  dribbled  cold  water  into  a  dirty  brass 
basin.  The  establishment,  in  short,  was  as  dirty  and 
comfortless  as  a  fifth-rate  London  lodging-house, 
although  other  private  residences  around  were  almost 
palatial,  being  mostly  owned  by  illiterate  nouveaux  riches 
who  had  amassed  huge  fortunes  in  the  Amur  gold- 
fields.  There  is  a  wide  social  difference  between  the 
middle-class  Siberian  and  his  prototype  in  European 
Russia,  which  is  explained  by  the  fact  that  Siberian 
society  largely  consists  of  the  descendants  of  convicts. 
Wealth  apparently  makes  no  difference  to  the  garb  of 
either  men  or  women,  most  of  whom,  even  though  they 
be  in  affluent  circumstances,  present  an  untidy,  even 
shabby  appearance.  It  is  only  in  winter  that  costly  or 
cheap  furs  indicate  a  man's  station  in  life,  blue-fox  or 
sable  denoting  the  merchant,  while  astrakhan  or  sheep- 
skin are  worn  by  his  clerk.  Both,  however,  generally 
look  as  if  they  slept  in  their  clothes ;  which,  by  the  way, 
is  not  improbable.  For  I  was  once  the  guest  of  a  Siberian 
Vanderbilt  who  lived  like  a  prince,  his  house  and  its 
appointments  having  cost  millions  of  roubles.  The 
owner  possessed  priceless  pictures  and  artistic  treasures, 
horses  and  carriages,  and  conservatories  of  rare  orchids 
and  exotics,  all  brought  from  Europe.  Even  his  bed- 
room was  furnished  a  la  Louis  XV.  by  a  famous  Parisian 
upholsterer,  and  yet  he  slept  every  night,  fully  dressed, 
on  three  chairs  ! 

Most  of  the  buildings  in  the  "  Bolshaya,"  or  main 
thoroughfare  of  Irkutsk,  are  of  brick,  and  it  is  lit  at 
night  with  electricity,  although  only  flickering  oil 
lamps  illumine  the  back  streets,  through  which,  after 
dark,  you  must  grope  your  way.  The  "  Opera "  (a 
new  and  handsome  house)  stands  near  this  main  street, 
which  also  contains  two  or  three  theatres,  and  some  so- 
called  music-halls,  which  blaze  with  light  from  dusk  till 
dawn,  and  where  suppers  are  served  at  little  wooden 
tables,  while  painted  harridans  cackle  suggestive  songs 


116  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

on  a  small  stage,  from  which  they  occasionally  descend 
to  mingle  with  the  crowd.  Siberian  millionaires  spend 
their  money  freely,  but  most  of  those  I  met  preferred 
the  dubious  amusements  of  their  native  city  to  the 
more  refined  attractions  of  a  European  capital.  Many, 
therefore,  took  their  pleasure  sadly,  but  expensively,  in 
these  places,  amid  surroundings  suggestive  of  a  low-class 
American  "  dive"  ;  and  this  was  to  some  extent  excusable, 
for  the  "  Opera  "  was  generally  closed,  and  performances 
at  the  other  theatres  were  of  a  very  inferior  description. 
But  Irkutsk  now  has  its  skating-rink,  and  picture- 
theatres,  and,  for  all  I  know,  superior  operatic  and 
dramatic  artists,  and  the  evenings  may  be  less  dreary 
than  those  I  passed  there  six  or  seven  years  ago,  when, 
although  I  had  hospitable  friends,  dinner  was  invariably 
followed  by  gambling  for  stakes  far  beyond  my  means. 
I  generally  returned  to  my  hotel  in  a  "  droshki  "  at 
night,  when  it  was  well  to  be  armed,  for  highway  rob- 
beries and  even  murders  were  of  frequent  occurrence, 
and  were  generally  traced  to  time-expired  convicts  in 
the  lower  quarters  of  the  town.  On  the  occasion  of  my 
last  visit  I  was  only  here  a  week,  during  which  period  a 
woman  was  shot  one  evening  outside  the  "  Metropole  " 
and  a  man  stabbed  to  death,  in  broad  daylight,  on  the 
busy  "  Bolshaya." 

In  summer-time  Irkutsk  society  migrates  for  coolness 
and  fresh  air  to  Lake  Baikal,  about  twenty  miles  away, 
and  I  retain  pleasant  recollections  of  a  visit,  in  July,  to 
the  pine-clad  shores  of  this  the  largest  lake  in  Asia, 
which  in  places  is  said  to  be  unfathomable.  But  its 
frozen  waters  present  no  attractions  in  winter,  and 
this  is  moreover  the  pleasantest  season  of  the  year  in 
Irkutsk,  which  in  summer-time  is  unbearably  hot  and 
dusty.  Yet  the  place  is  fairly  healthy,  except  in  the 
fall  of  the  year,  when  lung  disease  and  rheumatism  are 
prevalent  owing  to  cold  and  dense  fogs.  The  spring  is 
equally  objectionable,  for  the  melting  and  swollen  Angara 
then  causes  inundations  which  are  sometimes  very 
destructive  to  life  and  property. 

Tomsk  is,  next-  to  Irkutsk,  the  largest  city  in 
Siberia;  but  although  the  former  is  2000  miles  nearer 
Europe,  it  is  only  reached  by  a  branch  line  from  the 


CIVILIZED   SIBERIA  117 

Trans-Siberian,  and  is  therefore,  commercially  speaking, 
a  less  important  place.  In  former  days,  however, 
Tomsk  was  the  only  Siberian  terminus  in  direct  steam 
communication  with  Petrograd  by  river  and  rail;  but 
this,  although  still  maintained,  has  now  been  con- 
siderably reduced  by  the  cheaper  and  quicker  mode 
of  transit  direct  by  land  to  Moscow.  Yet  the  river  trip 
was,  to  my  mind,  preferable  to  the  railway  journey ;  and 
the  ten  days  to  Tiumen,  and  pleasant  break  across  the 
Urals,  succeeded  by  a  four  days'  trip  down  the  Volga  to 
Nijni  Novgorod,  was  as  full  of  interest  as  the  railway  route 
is  now  dull  and  monotonous.  The  large  paddle  steamers 
which  still  ply  in  the  summer  to  Tomsk  from  Tiumen 
and  back  are  roomy  and  comfortable,  and  there  is  no 
pleasant er  trip,  especially  for  sportsmen,  for  the  country 
teems  with  game  of  all  kinds,  and  a  shooting  licence  is 
easily  procured.  Navigation  opens  about  the  end  of 
April  and  closes  in  October,  and  fares  are  even  cheaper 
on  board  these  boats  than  on  the  Trans-Siberian  Railway. 
Tomsk  consists  of  an  upper  and  lower  town;  the 
former,  which  is  situated  on  a  steep,  granite  cliff,  com- 
prising buildings  which,  at  a  distance,  present  a  rather 
imposing  appearance.  In  the  lower,  or  business,  quarter 
of  the  town,  however,  brick  and  wooden  dwellings  are 
confusedly  jumbled  together,  and  the  broad,  straggling 
streets  are  unpaved  and,  in  summer,  ankle  deep  in  dust, 
or  flooded  by  heavy  rains  which  submerge  the  raised 
plank  side-walks.  When  the  roadway  has  thus  been 
under  water  I  have  watched  the  arrival  of  tea-caravans, 
and  seen  carts  which  had  come  without  a  breakdown  all 
the  way  from  China  overturned  and  wrecked,  within 
sight  of  the  steamer,  in  the  treacherous  pitfalls  which 
here  abound.  In  dry  weather  the  dust  here  is  so  dense 
that  on  a  still,  summer's  day  it  hangs  over  the  town 
like  a  funeral  pall ;  which  is  not  inappropriate,  for  this 
is  a  most  depressing  place,  less,  perhaps,  by  reason  of 
its  lack  of  life  and  activity  than  the  sombre  aspect  of 
the  streets,  where  a  few  red-brick  houses  and  green- 
domed  churches  form  the  only  patches  of  colour.  All 
around  it  is  a  vast  prairie  across  which  a  rough  track, 
formed  by  incessant  traffic,  leads  to  the  steamer's  land- 
ing-place some  miles  away ;  but  it  is  only  from  the  upper 


118  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

town  that  you  can  trace  the  course  of  the  great  River 
Obi,  sluggishly  rolling  northwards,  through  interminable 
plains,  with  here  and  there  a  patch  of  dark  pine  forest 
to  break  their  monotony. 

The  inn  at  Tomsk  was  worse  than  my  Irkutsk  "  hotel," 
for  I  discovered,  the  day  after  my  arrival,  that  the  room 
assigned  to  me  had  lately  been  occupied  by  a  smallpox 
patient.  But  when  I  indignantly  complained  of  this 
outrage,  the  landlord  merely  shrugged  his  shoulders, 
and  murmured  that  his  guest  had  "  only  had  a  mild 
attack  !  "  thereby  recalling  the  Irish  peasant  girl,  who 
when  reproved  for  deviation  from  the  path  of  virtue 
pleaded  that  the  result  of  her  indiscretion  was  "  only 
a  little  one  !  " 

I  visited  this  town  chiefly  in  order  to  inspect  its 
prisons,  and  being  furnished  with  Government  cre- 
dentials, enjoyed  the  hospitality  not  only  of  officials, 
but  also  of  the  mercantile  community,  which  was 
certainly  more  amusing.  For  Tomsk,  although  a  place 
of  depressing  exterior,  can  be  socially  very  gay,  especially 
in  winter,  when  mining  and  agriculture  being  at  a 
standstill,  all  classes  in  Siberia  rest  and  take  their 
pleasure,  and  there  is  plenty  going  on  in  the  way  of 
amusements.  My  evenings  were  usually  passed  at  the 
theatre  or  club,  where  there  was  gambling  every  night, 
and  for  the  highest  stakes  I  ever  saw,  even  in  Russia. 
"  Shtoss,"  a  kind  of  simplified  "  baccara,"  seemed  very 
popular,  although  it  was  a  mere  gamble,  in  which  a 
card  is  named  and  an  ordinary  pack  dealt,  one  to  the 
right  hand  for  the  players,  and  left  for  the  bank,  which, 
of  course,  has  the  usual  advantage.  I  have  seen  thou- 
sands of  roubles  staked  nightly  on  this  inane  and  sense- 
less game,  and  during  the  winter  race-meeting  (for  which 
horses  are  sometimes  brought  from  Europe  to  run  in 
deep  snow  !)  even  larger  stakes  are  won  and  lost. 

Although  good  looks  are  rare  amongst  Russian 
peasant  women,  this  does  not  apply  to  those  of  the 
Siberian  upper  class,  where  pretty  faces  are  more 
numerous  in  proportion  to  the  population  than  in 
European  Russia.  Yet  the  life  once  led  by  the  Siberian 
lady  was  anything  but  conducive  to  health  or  beauty, 
for  she  rarely  took  any  form  of  exercise  (in  Siberia  nobody 


CIVILIZED  SIBERIA  119 

ever  walks  or  rides  for  pleasure),  and  in  winter  passed 
most  of  her  time  indoors,  smoking  cigarettes  and  reading 
French  novels  in  a  heated  and  unwholesome  atmo- 
sphere. But  these  conditions  have  now  entirely 
changed,  and  both  sexes  now  employ  their  time  more 
sensibly  and  profitably  than  even  a  decade  ago. 
Frivolous  feminine  pleasures  have  been  discarded  in 
favour  of  intellectual  pursuits,  and  greater  interest  is 
shown  in  the  mental  and  physical  welfare  of  the  young. 
This  is  probably  due  to  increased  facilities  of  education, 
for  while  wealthy  Siberians  formerly  sent  their  children 
to  Europe  to  complete  their  studies,  the  latter  may  now 
graduate  in  almost  any  subject  without  leaving  home. 
A  voyage  to  Petrograd  was,  before  the  construction  of 
a  railway,  such  an  undertaking,  that  parents  often 
preferred  to  keep  their  daughters,  or  even  sons,  at  home, 
under  the  care  of  incompetent  instructors,  rather  than 
expose  them  unattended  to  the  risk  of  an  arduous  and 
complicated  journey.  But  Tomsk  now  boasts  of  a 
University  for  which  a  grant  of  1,000,000  roubles  was 
made  by  the  State,  and  a  similar  sum  by  local  sub- 
scriptions, where  students  may  take  up  any  branch  of 
science  or  art.  There  are  also  high  schools  for  girls,  and 
as  all  this  now  applies  more  or  less  to  every  city  in 
Siberia,  the  mental  needs  of  the  rising  generation  are 
well  provided  for.  And  it  would  be  unjust,  after 
enumerating  his  failings,  to  pass  over  the  good  qualities 
of  the  Siberian  millionaire,  who  though  often  illiterate 
and  ill-bred,  is  ever  ready  to  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket 
to  further  a  good  cause.  At  Tomsk,  for  instance,  there 
are  no  less  than  a  score  of  charitable  institutions  main- 
tained solely  by  public  subscriptions,  and  a  beggar  is 
therefore  rarely  seen  in  the  streets.  It  should  also  not 
be  forgotten  that  many  of  these  men  have  received 
practically  no  education,  and  that  the  charity  which 
they  habitually  practise  covers  a  multitude  of  sins. 

I  have  already  referred  to  the  innumerable  feasts  in 
the  Russian  calendar,  and  in  addition  to  these  every  one 
celebrates  a  "  name  day  "  as  well  as  the  date  of  his 
birth.  The  former  commences  at  the  early  hour  of 
11  a.m.,  when  friends  arrive  with  gifts  and  con- 
gratulations, returning  to  their  respective  homes  at 


120  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW  IT 

2  p.m.,  but  only  to  reassemble  for  dinner  two  hours 
later.  The  aforesaid  meal,  to  which  I  was  bidden, 
lasted  about  five  hours,  and  consisted  of  nine  courses, 
which  commenced  with  pancakes  fried  in  caviare,  and 
ended  with  ices  and  pastry,  the  "  name  day "  pie, 
consisting  of  various  kinds  of  fish,  eggs,  rice  and  cabbage 
forming  the  piece  de  resistance.  Alcoholic  beverages 
entered  largely  into  the  menu,  and  the  prohibition  of 
these  must  now  greatly  diminish  the  wild  revelry  which 
used  to  attend  these  entertainments.  I  have,  for 
instance,  vivid  recollections  of  a  certain  bowl  of  "  punch  " 
which  was  composed  of  a  bottle  of  champagne,  half  a 
bottle  of  brandy,  four  glasses  of  curagoa  and  a  similar 
amount  of  vodka,  and  which,  before  consumption,  was 
set  on  fire !  Even  General  Hindenburg's  favourite 
beverage,  known  as  "  East  Prussian  Cup,"  1  can  hardly 
be  more  potent  than  this  Siberian  compound,  which  I 
trust  the  reader  may  never  be  rash  enough  to  try,  even 
as  an  experiment ! 

In  summer  "  aquatic  picnics  "  are  all  the  rage  here. 
A  river  steamer  is  chartered  by  a  number  of  towns- 
people, who,  on  this  occasion  only,  ignore  all  social 
distinctions,  the  opulent  merchant  hobnobbing  with  any 
impecunious  street  loafer  who  may  have  contrived  to 
save  enough  money  to  join  the  party.  The  former, 
however,  engages  a  private  cabin,  where  he  entertains 
friends,  while  the  latter  can  only  enjoy  himself  on  deck, 
not  being  admitted  to  the  well-appointed  saloon,  where 
the  upper  ten  lunch  and  dine.  A  string  band  accom- 
panies the  boat,  which,  after  steaming  up  stream  for 
several  hours  (with  no  special  object)  returns  at  sunset 
to  her  place  of  departure.  At  dusk  a  blaze  of  electric 
light  is  the  signal  for  dancing  which  continues  until 
midnight,  when  home  is  reached  after  (as  the  English 
reader  may  imagine)  a  somewhat  dull  and  monotonous 
day.  For  during  the  excursion  I  attended  there  was 
little  to  do  but  eat,  drink,  smoke,  or  revert  at  intervals 
to  what  is  known  here  as  "  conversation-siberienne," 
which  is  only  another  name  for  the  cracking  and  con- 

1  According  to  the  Daily  Mail,  "  East  Prussian  Cup  "  contains  a 
pint  of  stout,  a  bottle  of  champagne,  a  pint  of  brandy  and  a  pint  of 
burgundy. 


CIVILIZED   SIBERIA  121 

sumption  of  hazel  nuts,  when  there  is  nothing  to  talk 
about  !  During  the  afternoon  there  was  a  violent 
thunderstorm,  and  my  host's  daughter,  with  whom  I 
was  conversing  at  the  time,  seemed  so  preoccupied  after 
a  deafening  crash  of  thunder,  that  I  endeavoured  to 
reassure  her.  "  Oh  !  I  am  not  in  the  least  alarmed," 
she  replied  after  a  pause  :  "I  was  merely  recalling  the 
names  of  six  bald-headed  acquaintances,"  this  being, 
the  young  lady  declared,  an  infallible  protection  against 
lightning  ! 

Tobolsk  was  probably  selected  as  a  fortress  by  its 
Cossack  founder  x  by  reason  of  its  commanding  site 
which,  from  a  steep  and  rugged  cliff,  overlooks  the  grey 
waters  of  the  Irtysh  and  a  vast  expanse  of  country. 
The  town  is  picturesque  and  also  interesting,  for  its 
citadel,*comprising  the  Governor's  palace  and  cathedral, 
was  erected  about  the  time  of  the  annexation.  There 
is  a  fine  view  from  here  of  the  crescent-shaped  city, 
which  mostly  consists  of  low  wooden  buildings,  some  of 
great  age,  with  here  and  there  a  glittering  church  dome. 
The  streets  are  paved  with  planks,  and  driving  at  night 
is  rather  risky,  for  your  "  droshki  "  may  be  suddenly 
engulfed  in  some  deep  hole  where  the  wood  has  rotted 
away,  only  to  be  repaired  when  it  has  widened  into  an 
impassable  chasm.  Tobolsk  is,  unlike  other  Siberian 
cities,  very  unhealthy,  owing  to  the  proximity  of  stagnant 
marshes  which  are  productive  of  fever  and  malaria, 
and  the  winter  here  is  even  more  severe  than  at  Irkutsk. 
Summer  is  generally  sunless  and  rainy,  and  exiles  have 
told  me  that  they  would  rather  remain  ten  years  at  the 
mines  than  half  the  time  here,  even  though  they  enjoy 
comparative  liberty,  and  it  is  so  much  nearer  Europe. 
The  town  was,  before  the  war,  infested  with  German 
manufacturers  of  leather,  soap,  and  tallow,  and  the 
aggressive  Hun  was  also  worming  his  way  into  the  boat- 
building industry  (in  which  only  Russians  are  here 
employed)  when  he  was  happily  compelled  to  beat  a 
hasty  retreat  or  be  interned. 

If  Lucerne  and  Berne  are  respectively  famed  for  their 
"  Lion  "  and  "  Bears,"  every  stranger  here  is  aggres- 

1  A  stone  obelisk  has  been  erected  to  him  at  Tobolsk  bearing  the 
inscription  :  "  To  Yermak — Conqueror  of  Siberia,  1581-1 584.*' 


122  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

sively  reminded  that  Tobolsk  also  possesses  an  object 
of  historical  interest.  For  on  arrival  at  the  landing-stage 
itinerant  vendors  will  pursue  him  with  walking-sticks, 
cigarette-cases,  sleeve-links,  and  every  imaginable  and 
useless  article  fashioned  in  silver,  ivory,  or  wood  to  repre- 
sent the  celebrated  "Bell  of  Ouglitch,"  which,  for  tolling 
the  signal  for  an  insurrection  in  that  town  was  banished 
to  Tobolsk  in  the  sixteenth  century  by  the  Tsar  Boris 
Godou?off.  It  was  the  custom,  in  those  days,  to  flog 
Siberian  exiles  and  remove  their  nostrils  with  red-hot 
pincers,  but  this  was  in  the  case  of  the  bell  obviously 
impracticable.  The  Tsar  was,  however,  facetiously 
inclined,  and  therefore  decreed  that  the  metal  offender 
should  first  be  publicly  flogged  and  then  (not  being 
possessed  of  a  nasal  organ)  have  its  ears  filed  off.  And 
this  sentence  was  duly  carried  out,  the  "  Ouglitch  Bell," 
which  for  many  years  reposed  in  a  church,  having  found 
a  last  resting-place  in  the  local  museum. 

An  interesting  discovery  was  recently  made  here  in 
the  shape  of  vast  subterranean  passages  which,  running 
in  all  directions,  were  unearthed  during  some  building 
excavations.  News  of  the  occurrence  was  immediately 
wired  to  Petrograd,  but,  to  every  one's  surprise,  an  order 
was  returned  to  close  the  place  up  as  quickly  and  secretly 
as  possible.  The  matter  therefore  remained  a  mystery, 
but  as  the  galleries  were  driven  only  under  the  lower 
town,  they  were  probably  constructed  by  some  ancient 
Tsar  to  be  used  in  case  of  a  revolt  as  mines. 

Ekaterinburg  *  is  more  suggestive  of  some  fashionable 
French  watering-place,  with  its  handsome  stone  buildings 
and  boulevards,  asphalte  streets  and  excellent  hotels, 
than  a  remote  mining  town.  The  Urals,  where  it  is 
situated,  more  resemble  downs  than  mountains,  and  a 
few  miles  from  the  town,  the  stone  pillar  may  still  be 
seen  which  marks  the  border-line  between  Europe  and 
Asia,  and  which  in  bygone  days  was  the  scene  of  many 
a  sad  parting,  for  all  prisoners  then  passed  it  on  their 
way  to  exile.  Ekaterinburg  is  rendered  the  more 
attractive  by  a  clear  and  rapid  river  which,  bisecting 
the  town,  forms  in  its  centre  a  lake  studded  with  fertile 

1  Founded  in  1793  by  Peter  the  Great,  and  named  after  Catherine 
of  Russia, 


CIVILIZED   SIBERIA  123 

islets  where,  on  a  summer's  evening,  pleasure  boats 
afloat  and  crowded  cafes  ashore,  impart  an  air  of  almost 
Parisian  life  and  gaiety.  And  everything  in  the  place 
conveys  an  impression  of  wealth  and  luxury,  for  this 
district  is  famed  for  its  valuable  deposits  of  gold,  silver 
and  platinum.  Many  English  firms  established  here  for 
their  exploitation  are  also  largely  interested  in  iron, 
which  is  here  so  cheap  and  plentiful  that  it  is  made  into 
walking-sticks,  and  precious  stones  are  also  found 
in  the  vicinity,  amongst  them  the  emerald,  amethyst, 
topaz  and  pretty  alexandrite,  which,  an  emerald  by  day, 
becomes  a  ruby  in  the  lamplight.  The  traveller  is 
therefore  constantly  pestered  by  tiresome  purveyors 
of  gems,  who  are  as  wily  and  extortionate  as  their  col- 
leagues in  Colombo,  wherefore  here,  as  in  Ceylon,  it  is 
well  to  beware  of  worthless  imitations. 

So  much  for  civilized  Siberia.  I  shall  endeavour  in 
the  next  chapter  to  give  the  reader  some  idea  of  life 
in  the  remoter  regions  of  a  land  of  such  enormous  extent, 
that  a  political  exile  of  my  acquaintance  once  set  out 
from  Europe  to  travel  incessantly  for  over  a  year,  before 
finally  reaching  his  destination  in  the  Tsar's  Asiatic 
Dominions. 


CHAPTER  XII 

DARKER  SIBERIA YAKUTSK  AND  THE  LENA  RIVER 

THE  above  heading  is  in  no  way  connected  with  my 
experiences  while  inspecting  the  prisons  of  that  great 
lone  land  which,  in  England,  had  ever  been  associated 
with  the  banishment  of  State  offenders.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  the  latter  have  always  formed  only  a  small 
percentage  of  the  great  army  of  criminal  convicts  of 
both  sexes  who  are  sent  to  Siberia,  not  only  to  expiate 
their  sins,  but  to  colonize.  I  shall  now,  however,  ignore 
the  penal  question,  and  merely  describe  the  strange 
towns  and  stranger  people  whom  I  met,  not  only  on  the 
uttermost  confines  of  civilization,  but  also  far  beyond 
them,  in  the  frozen  North.  Should  the  reader  desire 
a  detailed  account  of  Russian  prison  life,  it  may  be  found 
in  previous  works  dealing  solely  with  my  investigation 
of  the  Exile  system  which,  at  the  termination  of  three 
years,  convinced  me  that  a  long  term  of  penal  servitude 
in  Siberia  would  be  infinitely  preferable  to  even  a  brief 
period  of  confinement  in  any  English  gaol. 

Before  we  penetrate  into  the  remoter  parts  of  Siberia, 
let  the  reader  take  a  map  of  the  world  on  "  Mercator's 
projection,"  and  note  how  small  and  insignificant  other 
countries  (even  our  Indian  Empire)  appear  beside  this 
stupendous  stretch  of  territory,  more  than  six  times  the 
size  of  Australia  !  Find  the  city  of  Irkutsk,  and  a  long 
way  north-east  of  it  Yakutsk,  which  is  not,  as  you  might 
imagine  in  these  lonely  latitudes,  a  trappers'  settlement, 
but  a  fair-sized  town.  Verkhoyansk,  further  north,  is 
our  next  objective,  whence  we  shall  set  out  on  a  two 
months'  journey  nearly  due  east,  to  Nijni-Kolymsk, 
on  the  Arctic  Ocean,  which  may  indeed  be  described  as 
"  the  end  of  the  end  "  of  the  world,  and  where,  so  far 
as  this  book  is  concerned,  our  journey  will  end. 

124 


DARKER   SIBERIA  125 

Let  us  say  the  reader  wishes  to  proceed  from  Irkutsk 
to  Yakutsk,  beyond  which  no  one  who  can  possibly  avoid 
it  ever  travels.  A  stranger  will  naturally  have  the 
vaguest  notion  of  how  to  reach  the  place,  and  will  only 
ascertain  with  difficulty,  even  at  Irkutsk,  that  in  summer 
he  can  travel  there  by  small  steamers  plying  on  the  Lena, 
or  in  winter -time  by  sleigh,  on  the  frozen  surface  of  the 
river,  which  then  becomes  a  post-road,  impenetrable 
forests  and  endless  swamps  rendering  it  impossible  to 
travel  on  land.  The  summer  journey  takes  about  three 
weeks,  but  shifting  sand-bars  and  other  obstacles  often 
cause  delays,  which  must  be  patiently  endured  in  con- 
junction with  atrocious  food  and  accommodation,  and 
myriads  of  mosquitoes.  Those  compelled  to  go  to 
Yakutsk,  therefore  generally  choose  the  winter  route 
which  is  perhaps  the  lesser  of  two  evils;  but  in  any 
case,  the  summer  journey  is  one  of  incessant  boredom 
and  discomfort,  while  in  winter  there  are  daily  priva- 
tions and  occasional  hardships  which  can  only  be  borne 
by  a  man  accustomed  to  "  rough  it,"  in  the  severest 
sense  of  the  word. 

My  "  troika  "  1  was  changed  at  every  post-house  (of 
which  there  are  one  hundred  and  twenty-three  between 
Irkutsk  and  Yakutsk),  and  my  conveyance  was  a  con- 
trivance known  as  a  Yakute  sleigh  and  used  nowhere  else 
in  the  world.  It  consisted  of  a  sack  of  coarse  matting 
about  four  feet  in  depth  suspended  from  a  frame  of 
rough -wooded  poles,  in  front  of  which  was  a  seat  for  the 
driver.  Into  this  bag  my  luggage  was  first  lowered, 
then  a  mattress,  pillows  and  furs,  and  finally  I  lay  down 
myself  at  full  length  on  my  belongings,  with  a  thick 
felt  apron  as  a  protection  in  stormy  weather  or  intense 
cold.  I  could  have  dispensed  with  the  latter,  for  during 
sleep  it  rested  on  the  face,  causing  frostbite,  while  in 
bad  weather  the  thick  heavy  canopy  cast  me  into  outer 
darkness  ! 

The  whole  journey  may  be  described  as  one  of  mad- 
dening monotony  with  fairly  frequent  intervals  of  severe 
physical  suffering.  For,  from  first  to  last,  the  post- 
houses  were  squalid  hovels  where  only  black  bread, 
salt  fish,  and  occasionally  a  dubious  egg  were  obtainable. 
1  A  team  of  three  horses  harnessed  abreast. 


126  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW  IT 

The  provisions  I  carried  had  to  be  thawed  out  at  every 
halt,  and  a  case  of  Crimean  claret  which  I  had  taken  to 
enliven  the  first  stages  of  the  journey  was  found,  when 
opened,  to  contain  only  red  ice  and  broken  glass  !  I 
carried,  however,  milk  cut  into  frozen  cubes  in  a  net, 
and  this,  mingled  with  tea,  was  my  only  beverage. 

Progress  is  so  slow  that  after  a  few  days  the  heart 
sinks  at  the  appalling  total  of  mileage  to  be  covered,  for 
advance  is  retarded  by  frequent  accidents  caused  by 
logs  frozen  into  the  river  ice,  and  other  causes.  A 
double  row  of  pine  branches  indicates  the  track,  but 
these  at  night  are  invisible,  and  there  is  then  great 
danger  from  ice  holes,  caused  by  the  hot  springs  which 
abound  in  the  Lena.  Blizzards  were  also  frequent, 
when  we  would  flounder  about  for  hours  lost  in  the 
deep  drifts,  and  the  wild,  unbroken  horses  would  some- 
times bolt  while  one  lay  in  a  sleigh  as  helpless  as  a 
tinned  sardine,  and  momentarily  expecting  a  smash  or 
plunge  into  the  cold  dark  waters.  Yet,  on  still  clear 
nights,  it  was  not  unpleasant  to  lie  back  and  watch 
an  inky  sky  powdered  with  stars — the  "  Great  Bear  " 
now  almost  overhead,  and  the  little  "  Pleiades  "  twink- 
ling like  diamonds  against  black  velvet.  And  on  sunlit 
days  the  heavens  were  equally  beautiful,  being  unflecked 
by  the  tiniest  cloud,  and  gradually  fading  from  dark 
sapphire  overhead  to  the  tenderest  turquoise  on  the 
horizon.  But  day  after  day  and  week  after  week  the 
landscape  was  unutterably  dreary  and  depressing,  an 
endless  vista  of  pine-clad  cliffs  between  which  the  frozen 
Lena  lay  as  broad  as  an  arm  of  the  sea,1  and  motionless 
as  a  corpse.  The  so-called  villages  were  merely  a  few 
huts  surrounding  a  post-house,  and  also  a  larger  building 
surrounded  by  a  palisade,  where  political  prisoners  are 
housed  during  this  interminable  journey,  which,  by  the 
way,  ordinary  criminals  never  experience.  After  a  week 
or  so,  I  travelled  like  a  man  in  a  dream,  wherein  the 
jangle  of  yoke-bells  and  scroop  of  the  runners  seemed 
permanently  hammered  into  the  brain. 

1  The  Lena  has  a  length  of  3000  miles,  its  tributaries  being  the 
Vitim,  Aldan  and  Olekina  rivers,  1400,  1300  and  800  miles  long  re- 
spectively. The  Vitim  runs  through  a  rich  gold- mining  district,  and 
the  finest  sables  in  the  world  are  found  in  its  vicinity. 


DARKER   SIBERIA  127 

There  are  three  small  towns  on  the  Lena  between 
Irkutsk  and  Yakutsk  (which  I  chiefly  associate  with  the 
only  three  square  meals  I  was  able  to  obtain),  and  one  of 
these,  Kirensk,  about  half-way,  was  a  pretty  little  place 
which  afforded  a  brief  but  delicious  interval  of  rest. 
And  being  a  fine,  bright  day,  it  was  really  enjoyable  to 
walk  through  a  main  street  of  neatly -built  houses,  two 
or  three  warehouses,  and  a  store  for  the  sale  of  provi- 
sions, clothing,  and  other  necessaries  of  life.  A  couple 
of  river  steamers  in  course  of  construction,  but  now 
imbedded  in  the  ice,  accounted  for  the  prosperous 
appearance  of  Kirensk,  which  actually  boasted  of  an  inn, 
where  I  fared  sumptuously  off  decent  food  amid  clean 
surroundings.  Moreover,  a  fish  I  tasted  here,  called 
the  "  Nelma,"  which  is  found  only  in  the  Lena,  and  eaten 
in  frozen  slices,  would  certainly  have  found  favour  in  a 
London  restaurant. 

The  river  here  makes  a  detour  of  fifty  or  sixty  miles, 
and  in  order  to  avoid  this  the  post-road  is  laid  for  a 
short  distance  over  the  land,  and  through  a  forest  so 
dense  that  my  sleigh  could  scarcely  get  through  it.  Yet 
it  was  a  relief  to  drive,  if  only  for  a  few  hours,  through 
pine  woods  where  the  single  telegraph  wire  which  con- 
nects Yakutsk  with  civilization  was  our  only  guide. 
And  here  for  the  first  time  on  this  journey  we  encountered 
a  wolf,  which  on  first  sight  I  took  to  be  a  mangy,  half- 
starved  dog,  and  which  turned  tail  and  fled  at  our 
approach.  I  mention  this  fact  as,  although  I  have 
travelled  thousands  of  miles  in  the  wildest  parts  of 
Siberia,  I  have  never  met  these  brutes  in  anything  like 
dangerous  numbers,  and  therefore  imagine  that  reports 
of  their  boldness  and  ferocity  may  be  somewhat  exag- 
gerated. I  found  in  the  inn  at  Kirensk  (and  nearly 
every  post-house)  cheap  coloured  prints  which  even 
here  had  been  freely  distributed  by  the  German 
Government  in  order  to  excite  animosity  and  ridicule 
against  England.  All  were  connected  with  the  Boer 
War,  in  which  (needless  to  say)  the  British  troops  were 
invariably  depicted  in  the  act  of  ignominious  flight,  one 
work  of  art  representing  three  British  generals  upon 
their  knees  imploring  mercy  of  Mr.  Kruger  ! 

One  interesting  event  of  that  otherwise  uneventful 


128  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

journey  was  my  meeting  with  the  famous  naturalist, 
Dr.   Herz,   who   was   returning  to   Petrograd  with   his 
newly-discovered   mammoth,    the   discovery   of  which, 
at   the   time,    aroused   much   interest   in   the   scientific 
world.     The  prehistoric  monster  was  being  conveyed  in 
sections,  packed  in  twenty  sleighs,  to  Europe,  and  had 
already  thus  been  brought  for  over  2000  miles  from 
the  Arctic  Ocean.     The  task  of  conveying  it  even  as 
far  as  this  had  been  almost  a  superhuman  one,   and 
Dr.  Herz  informed  me  that  this  was  the  most  perfect 
specimen  of  the  kind  ever  discovered.     The  animal  had 
been  found  frozen  into  a  massive  block  of  ice,  and  had 
presumably  fallen   from  a  cliff  near  by,  for  its  forelegs 
were  broken,  and  there  were  other  signs  of  injury.     The 
beast  measured  more  than  twenty  feet  in  height,  and  it 
was  even  possible  to  accurately  calculate  its  period  by 
undigested  weeds  found  in  the  stomach.     I  am  glad  to 
be  able  to  add  that  all  difficulties  of  transit  were  finally 
overcome,  and  that  this  priceless  treasure  was  success- 
fully set  up  by  scientists,  and  has  now  been  relegated  to 
the  "  Imperial  Academy  of  Science  "  in  Petrograd. 

The  town  of  Yakutsk  (which  I  reached  in  twenty- 
seven  days  from  Irkutsk)  was  founded  by  Cossacks  early 
in  the  seventeenth  century,  and  the  old  wooden  stockade 
which  they  then  erected  was  so  strongly  constructed, 
that  it  is  still  in  a  good  state  of  preservation.  It  is 
said  that  the  Yakutes  granted  these  first  Russian  colo- 
nists as  much  land  for  the  erection  of  a  city  as  the 
latter  could  surround  with  200  reindeer-skins,  but  the 
wily  Cossacks  cut  the  latter  into  such  thin  long  strips, 
that  they  encircled  many  miles  of  ground.  The  town 
therefore  covers  a  very  large  area,  and  looks  at  a  distance 
rather  imposing,  although  this  impression  is  quickly 
dispelled  on  closer  acquaintance,  for  the  sombre  wooden 
buildings,  many  rotting  with  age,  and  wide  but  lonely 
streets,  present  a  lifeless  and  depressing  aspect.  Even 
the  Governor's  palace  is  a  mean -looking,  one-storied 
edifice,  and  there  are  no  other  public  buildings  with  the 
exception  of  two  or  three  handsome,  golden-domed 
churches,  which  look  rather  out  of  place  amid  such 
squalid  surroundings. 

There  was  no  inn  here  of  any  description,  so  I  was 


DARKER  SIBERIA  129 

entertained  by  the  Chief  of  Police,  under  whose  guidance 
I  was  enabled  to  study  more  closely  the  manners  and 
customs  of  the  inhabitants.  And  I  was  surprised  to 
find  that  even  isolated  Yakutsk  had  its  social  side,  and 
that  although  in  the  streets  only  gold-laced  officials, 
burly  Russian  traders,  and  fur-clad  natives  were  met 
with,  there  was  also  an  upper  class  which  contrived 
almost  to  enjoy  life  under  especially  adverse  conditions. 
The  chief  member  of  this  "  Society  "  was  of  course  the 
Governor  and  his  staff,  whose  official  exile  was  shared 
by  their  wives  and  daughters.  Then  came  the  officials 
according  to  rank,  the  mercantile  community,  and  lastly 
the  political  exiles,  who  to  my  surprise  seemed  to  enjoy 
as  much  freedom  as  any  one  else.  A  lunch  therefore, 
which  was  given  in  my  honour  by  the  Governor,  as- 
sembled at  least  a  score  of  guests,  including  several  ladies, 
some  of  whom  were  young,  attractive  and  fashionably 
dressed,  although  these  were  recent  arrivals,  and  had 
not  acquired  the  "  mildewed  "  appearance  (I  can  think 
of  no  other  term)  of  the  women  who  had  resided  here 
for  years.  The  menu  was  surprisingly  elaborate, 
and  although  I  had  suffered  from  starvation  on  the 
road,  the  frequency  of  meals  here  was  almost  as  distress- 
ing as  the  pangs  of  hunger.  My  host,  for  instance,  was 
an  orderly,  business-like  man,  yet  I  never  got  to  bed  until 
four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  simply  because  supper, 
the  principal  meal  of  the  day,  was  only  served  at  mid- 
night. Breakfast,  consisting  of  black  bread,  smoked 
fish,  and  cheese,  was  served  at  9  a.m.,  and  followed  at 
midday  by  a  heavier  meal  accompanied  by  beer  and 
liqueurs.  At  3  p.m.  there  was  a  dinner  of  three  courses, 
and  at  8  p.m.  tea,  accompanied  by  cakes  and  sweets, 
while  in  addition  to  these  repasts  there  was  a  sideboard 
laid  in  the  dining-room  for  a  snack  at  any  hour  of  the 
day  or  night  !  Every  one  rose  very  late  and,  as  in  the 
Far  East,  retired  for  a  "  siesta  "  in  the  afternoon,  an 
arrangement  rendered  essential  by  the  brief  snatches 
of  repose  obtained  at  normal  hours. 

Yakutsk,  like  all  small  towns,  was  a  hotbed  of  scandal, 
and  the  women  especially  seemed  to  pass  most  of  their 
time  discussing  other  people's  affairs,  for  none  of  them 
appeared  to  have  any  rational  or  useful  occupation  to 


130  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW   IT 

mitigate  an  existence  of  hopeless  monotony.  I  had 
heard  in  Irkutsk  of  the  immorality  prevalent  here,  and 
a  stay  of  only  ten  days  sufficed  to  convince  me  that  the 
report  was  not  entirely  groundless.  And  this  demoraliza- 
tion was  scarcely  surprising,  seeing  that  although  in 
summer-time  women  could  obtain  fresh  air  and  exercise, 
in  spring  and  winter  they  were  kept  indoors  for  days, 
and  sometimes  weeks,  at  a  time  by  floods  or  intense  cold. 
A  prominent  official  told  me  that,  but  for  the  fear  of 
publicity,  things  would  have  been  far  worse;  and  this 
condition  of  affairs  is  probably  of  long  standing,  for  when 
my  friend  the  late  Admiral  Melville  came  here  thirty 
years  ago  (after  searching  the  Lena  Delta  for  his  unfor- 
tunate shipmates  of  the  Jeannette),  the  Governor  in- 
formed him,  on  the  occasion  of  a  New  Year's  Eve 
reception,  that,  "  on  that  night,  as  on  no  other,  every 
man  had  his  own  wife  instead  of  some  one  else's  at  his 
side  !  "  i 

Nearly  every  night  throughout  the  winter  there  is  a 
social  gathering  of  some  sort,  but  there  was  a  sameness 
about  these  entertainments  which  rendered  them  un- 
utterably sad  and  depressing.  There  were  only  three 
pianos  in  the  place,  but  the  "  gramophone  "  was  ubi- 
quitous and  would  grind  away  tune  after  tune,  while 
the  ladies  sat  around  it  in  a  silent  circle,  and  the  men 
played  cards,  or  paced  up  and  down  the  room,  chatting 
and  smoking  cigarettes.2  This  is  a  singularly  irritating 
habit  peculiar  to  Siberia,  where,  when  conversation 
flags,  your  host  or  companion  will  continue  to  walk 
to  and  fro  for  hours,  murmuring  the  word  "  Da  "3 
at  intervals,  while  if  you  hazard  a  remark  on  any  subject 
he  will  generally  contradict  you,  more  with  the  object 
of  starting  a  discussion  than  because  his  opinion  really 
differs  from  your  own.  The  most  important  social 

1  In  the  Lena  Delta,  by  G.  W.  Melville. 

2  The  Russian  Admiral,  Von  Wrangell,  also  thus  described  a  visit 
to  Yakutsk  in  1820  :    "  The  inhabitants  are  not  in  an  advanced  state 
of  intellectual  cultivation.     They  pass  much  of  their  leisure  in  noisy 
assemblages  where  eating  and  drinking  play  a  principal  part.     After 
dinner  (which  is  a  very  substantial  meal)  the  gentlemen  pass  the 
afternoon  with  cards  and  punch,  and  the  ladies  gather  round  the 
tea-table." 

3  «  yes,11 


DARKER  SIBERIA  131 

event  was  a  monthly  amateur  dramatic  performance  at 
the  club,  which  commenced  at  6  p.m.  and  wound  up  with 
supper  towards  the  small  hours,  although  there  had 
previously  been  plenty  to  eat  and  drink  between  the 
acts  ! 

Life  is  more  bearable  here  for  men  than  women,  for 
the  former  are  occupied  with  official  or  commercial 
duties,  and,  if  so  inclined,  can  obtain  excellent  sport 
with  rod  or  gun  within  a  few  miles  of  the  town.  The 
Verkhoyansk  mountains  can  be  reached  in  under  a 
week  in  winter,  and  here  there  are  elk,  wild  sheep  and 
other  big  game;  but,  as  I  have  already  remarked,  this 
mode  of  sport  is  not  popular  in  Russia,  and  most  of  the 
men  I  met  preferred  to  pass  their  leisure  hours  indoors 
with  the  fair  sex,  probably  engaged  in  less  healthful 
and  innocent  pursuits  ! 

The  feeling  of  gloom  from  which  a  stranger  invariably 
suffers  on  arrival  in  Yakutsk  is  probably  due  to  the  fact 
that  he  has  only  reached  the  latter  after  struggling 
through  a  hell  of  monotony,  hunger,  and  filth  which 
will  have  to  be  undergone  on  the  return  journey — for 
there  is  no  other  way  back  to  Europe,  and  the  heart 
sinks  at  the  thought.  It  was  of  course  infinitely  worse 
before  the  installation  of  the  telegraph,  which  now  at 
least  keeps  one  in  touch  with  the  distant  world  of  civiliza- 
tion. Yakutsk  only  possessed  one  so-called  newspaper, 
a  dry  official  monthly  record,  but  telegrams  received 
by  the  Governor  were  passed  on  to  subscribers  who  paid 
for  the  privilege.  The  wire  ends  here  and  local  news 
which  filters  slowly  in  from  the  Far  North  could  generally 
be  dispensed  with,  for  it  is  generally  associated  with 
some  death  or  disaster  such  as  the  tragic  fate  of  the 
Jeannette  expedition  on  the  Lena  Delta,  or  more 
recently  the  mysterious  disappearance  of  Baron  Toll, 
the  Russian  explorer,  and  his  companions  in  the  Liakov 
Islands. 

Yakutsk  has  been  described  as  the  coldest  place  in 
winter  and  the  hottest  in  summer  in  the  world,  but  this 
is  incorrect,  for  a  daily  record  which  I  examined  regis- 
tered 78°  Fahrenheit  as  the  highest,  and  69°  below  zero 
as  the  lowest  for  the  past  fifteen  years,  and  I  myself 
experienced  a  lower  temperature  further  North.  Never- 


132  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  Y" 

theless  the  soil  is  permanently  frozen  to  a  depth  of 
700  feet,  and  is  only  thawed,  even  during  the  hottest 
summer,  for  thirty  or  forty  inches.  Winter  com- 
mences in  September,  and  by  the  first  week  in  Octo- 
ber the  country  is  icebound  until  May,  when  the  Lena 
breaks  up,  flooding  the  country  for  hundreds  of  miles, 
and  rendering  Yakutsk  an  island,  cut  off  by  miles  of 
water  from  any  other  land.  The  short  summer  is 
rendered  very  unpleasant  by  dust,  dense  fogs,  and  of 
course  clouds  of  mosquitoes. 

The  Yakutsk  province  contains  about  250,000  natives, 
and  the  town  a  considerable  number,  but  they  only 
associate  on  business  with  the  Russians,  so  I  saw 
little  of  them.  Those  who  resided  in  the  towns  were 
not  attractive,  the  men  having  sallow  complexions, 
flattened  nostrils,  and  straight  coarse  black  hair,  while 
the  women  were  ungainly  creatures,  with  faces  thickly 
plastered  with  paint.  But  the  Yakutes  are  proud  of 
their  lineage,  and  affect  to  despise  the  Russians,  whom 
they  say  they  only  tolerate  because  of  their  money. 
There  are  many  wealthy  Yakutes,  for  they  are  such 
shrewd  business  men  that  Russians  call  them  "  the  Jews 
of  Siberia  "  ;  which  is  scarcely  correct,  for  most  of  them 
are  recklessly  extravagant  in  the  pursuit  of  pleasure, 
often  gambling  for  large  stakes,  and  squandering  their 
money  on  women  and  riotous  living.  The  men  are  also 
usually  hard  drinkers,  although  they  rarely  touch  spirits, 
champagne  being  their  favourite  beverage.  Their  cos- 
tume is  a  blouse  of  cloth  or  fur,  according  to  the  season, 
baggy  breeches,  and  high  deerskin  boots;  that  of  the 
women,  loose  flowing  draperies  adorned  in  summer  with 
bright  silks  and  satins,  and  in  winter  costly  sables  and  a 
head-dress  of  some  valuable  fur.  Their  language  has 
one  interesting  peculiarity,  for  it  so  closely  resembles 
Turkish,  that  a  merchant  from  Constantinople  could 
easily  make  himself  understood  in  the  market-place  of 
this  Siberian  town.  Numerous  words  expressing  the 
same  meaning  are  exactly  similar,  and  the  numerals 
up  to  ten  identical. 

There  were  only  a  couple  of  good  stores  here,  where 
the  most  miscellaneous  articles  in  the  shape  of  furniture, 
wearing  apparel,  cheap  jewellery,  groceries  and  iron- 


DARKER   SIBERIA  133 

mongery  were  sold.  I  had  hoped  to  procure  valuable 
furs  at  a  greatly  reduced  price,  but  found  them  almost 
as  dear  as  in  Petrograd,  for  the  good  old  days  are  past 
when  peltry  was  so  cheap  and  European  goods  so 
expensive  that  an  iron  cauldron  fetched  as  many  sable 
skins  as  it  would  hold  !  In  summer,  however,  a  large 
"  Aquatic  Fair  "  is  held  on  the  Lena,  on  board  numerous 
barges  which  drift  down  from  its  upper  waters  with  the 
stream,  and  which  as  soon  as  navigation  permits  furnish 
not  only  the  necessaries,  but  luxuries  of  life.  These 
boats  are  towed  back  by  steamers  in  the  early  fall, 
exporting  furs,  fish  and  ivory  to  the  value  of  some 
millions  of  roubles.  In  the  open  season  small  steamers 
also  run  down  the  Lena  to  the  Arctic  Ocean,  from  which 
large  quantities  of  salt  fish,  furs  and  walrus-tusks  are 
yearly  exported  to  Europe. 

There  is  little  doubt,  in  face  of  these  natural  re- 
sources, that  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  Irkutsk  will  be 
linked  by  rail  from  Yakutsk,  for  a  line  could  be  laid  with 
comparatively  little  difficulty.  Thirty  years  ago  there 
was  no  steam  communication  of  any  kind,  and  it  is  now 
so  inadequate  to  the  commercial  needs  of  this  vast 
province,  that  it  is  practically  certain  that  after  the  war 
special  attention  will  be  directed  to  the  development  of 
the  Yakutsk  district  which  will  render  imperative  the 
construction  of  a  railway  to  Irkutsk.  For  although  so 
far  north,  even  agriculture  here  is  making  great  strides, 
as  was  proved  by  a  visit  which  I  made  to  a  Skopt  settle- 
ment near  Yakutsk,  where  farming  was  successfully 
carried  on,  and  which  I  shall  describe  in  an  ensuing 
chapter  descriptive  of  "  Curious  Creeds."  There  is  little 
doubt,  therefore,  that  Yakutsk  only  needs  capital,  energy 
and  enterprise  to  render  it  an  important  centre  of  com- 
merce and  civilization.  Gold  abounds  in  all  the  up- 
lands of  the  Lena,  many  of  them  yielding  (under  present 
primitive  modes  of  working)  £500,000  sterling  yearly. 
Platinum,  lead,  iron  and  coal  are  also  known  to  exist  in 
large  quantities,, and  the  trade  of  the  place  is  now  nothing 
to  what  it  could  be  made  in  a  short  space  of  time,  in 
capable  hands.  I  passed  through  Yakutsk  during  a 
journey  which  I  undertook  by  land  to  America,  in  order 
to  ascertain  the  possibility  of  constructing  a  railway  from 


134  RUSSIA  AS  I  KNOW  IT 

France  to  New  York,  in  which  the  Bering  Straits  were 
to  be  negotiated  by  means  of  a  tunnel.  My  expedition 
was  the  first  to  cover  the  entire  distance,  and  while 
the  conclusion  which  I  formed  at  its  termination  in- 
clined me  to  doubt  whether  the  whole  line  would  ever 
be  laid,  I  was  at  the  same  time  impressed  with  the 
enormous  advantages  that  would  be  gained  by  the  pro- 
longation of  the  present  Trans-Siberian  Railway  to  the 
remoter  regions  of  Siberia.  For  Yakutsk  once  reached, 
important  branches  could  radiate  in  all  directions  from 
it  as  a  mining  and  commercial  centre ;  and  I  have  heard 
Yakutsk  merchants  discuss  the  feasibility  of  a  line  to 
Gijiga  (on  the  sea  of  Okhotzk),  which  would  probably 
reap  a  rich  harvest,  for  this  system  would  open 
up  Kamchatka  with  its  valuable  minerals,  furs  and 
lumber,  and  also  Nelkan,  near  Ayan,  where  gold  has 
been  discovered  in  such  large  quantities  that  a  well-known 
Siberian  millionaire  has  commenced  a  narrow-gauge 
railway  of  200  miles  to  connect  the  new  goldfields 
with  the  sea.  One  may  therefore  safely  predict  that 
when  wealth  and  enterprise  have  opened  up  the  Yakutsk 
province,  the  banks  of  the  Lena  will  swarm  with  large 
and  prosperous  towns,  instead  of  being  as  they  now  are, 
a  howling  waste  interspersed  with  a  few  small,  poverty- 
stricken  settlements. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

FROZEN    ASIA 

LET  us  assume,  before  visiting  Arctic  Siberia,  that 
London,  and  not  Yakutsk,  is  the  point  of  departure,  as 
the  reader  will  then  more  readily  appreciate  distances 
which,  if  merely  given  in  round  numbers,  he  would 
probably  underestimate.  "  So  many  hundreds  of  miles  " 
from  one  place  to  another  in  these  frozen  wastes  convey 
very  little  to  the  dweller  in  civilization,  even  though  the 
actual  journey  be  one  of  interminable  length,  solitude 
and  suffering.  When,  however,  it  is  more  graphically 
described  as  being  "  as  far  as  that  from  London  to  Berlin," 
Constantinople,  or  some  other  well-known  place,  a  clearer 
idea  may  be  formed  of  the  magnitude  of  mileage  which, 
in  the  Far  North,  is  often  covered  under  almost  impossible 
conditions.  For  instance,  my  journey  from  Yakutsk 
to  the  Bering  Straits  was  about  the  same  distance  as 
from  London  to  the  Persian  Gulf,  a  very  ordinary  journey 
in  a  genial  climate  by  rail  or  steamer,  but  a  very  different 
proposition  when  the  temperature  averages  30°  below 
zero,  and  the  only  mode  of  locomotion  is  an  open  sled 
drawn  by  dogs  or  reindeer  ! 

It  was  with  the  latter  that  I  journeyed  from  Yakutsk 
to  Verkhoyansk  (about  as  far  as  from  London  to  Mos- 
cow), and  I  should  explain  that  north  of  Yakutsk  a  few 
political  exiles  and  the  Cossacks  who  conduct  them  are 
the  only  travellers.  Even  natives  are  very  seldom  seen, 
and  the  Governor  of  Yakutsk,  who  had  resided  there  for 
over  twenty  years,  had  never  summoned  the  courage  to 
embark  even  upon  this  comparatively  short  trip.  A 
reindeer  sled  is  the  easiest  primitive  vehicle  in  the  world 
over  smooth  snow,  but  is  so  light  that,  when  the  latter 
is  rough,  it  rolls  and  pitches  like  a  channel  steamer.  It 
is  drawn  by  four  deer,  two  abreast,  without  reins,  the 

135 


136  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

team  being  driven  by  a  thong  attached  to  the  off-leader, 
the  traces  being  secured  by  a  loop  round  the  neck  and 
inside  the  outer  leg  of  each  deer.  The  driver  carries 
a  long  pole,  not  to  urge  on  his  team,  but  to  sound  deep 
snow,  which,  by  the  way,  is  essential  for  reindeer  travel, 
for  on  ice  they  slip  about  like  a  cat  on  walnut-shells.  On 
halting  at  night  the  deer  are  turned  loose,  and  often 
wander  away  for  miles  in  search  of  moss,  although  they 
never  fail  to  return  next  morning.  But  at  first  it  is 
rather  disconcerting  to  see  your  only  means  of  progress 
disappear,  leaving  you  apparently  stranded  hundreds  of 
miles  from  the  nearest  human  "  habitation  "  !  Every 
fifty  miles  or  so  there  is  a  "  stancia  "  or  deer-station, 
which  is  merely  a  log  hut  plastered  with  mud.  The  in- 
terior is  a  low  dark  den  about  six  feet  high,  with  a  floor  of 
beaten  earth  and  window-panes  of  ice,  surrounded  by  a 
rough  wooden  platform,  a  portion  of  which  is  strewn  with 
fir  branches  for  the  use  of  guests.  Here  a  pine -log  fire 
blazed  night  and  day,  rendering  the  place  intolerable 
when  cooking  operations  were  in  progress;  for  the 
Yakut es  prefer  putrid  to  fresh  food,  and  the  stench  of 
bad  deer -meat  or  tainted  fish  often  drove  me  out  of 
doors  into  the  ferocious  cold.  These  natives  are  passion- 
ately fond  of  this  revolting  form  of  sustenance,  and  I  once 
found  an  old  man  in  a  deserted  hut  lying  beside  a  dead 
deer  in  an  advanced  state  of  decomposition.  The  poor 
wretch  was  apparently  in  great  pain,  and  I  inferred  by 
signs  that  he  had  been  poisoned  by  partaking  of  these 
disgusting  remains  ! 

If  vermin  could  be  numbered  by  their  thousands  on 
the  Lena,  there  were  certainly  myriads  here,  for  every 
deer-station  was  occupied  by  the  Yakute  owner,  his 
numerous  family,  several  deer-drivers,  and  occasionally 
cattle.  When  the  inhabited  "  stancias  "  were  more  than 
two  hundred  miles  apart  there  was  also  the  "  povarnia," 
a  rough  shanty  generally  half  full  of  snow  and  partly 
open  to  the  winds,  with  a  bundle  of  firewood  which  the 
previous  traveller  had  left  for  his  successors,  perhaps 
months  before.  Yet  even  these  crazy  shelters  saved  us 
more  than  once  from  death  by  exposure  on  this  lonely 
and  perilous  track. 

Half-way  between  Yakutsk  and  Verkhoyansk  a  range 


FROZEN   ASIA  137 

of  mountains  was  crossed  which  from  a  distance  looked 
like  a  perpendicular  wall  of  ice.  The  sleds  went  by  a 
circuitous  and  easier  route,  being  unable  to  negotiate, 
near  the  summit,  a  precipice  of  1000  feet  spanned  by  an 
ice-ledge  about  three  feet  wide.  On  the  downward  side,  in 
order  to  descend  a  snow  slope  about  a  mile  in  length, 
the  deer  were  fastened  behind  the  sled  to  restrain  them ; 
but  the  pace  gradually  increased  until  all  control  was 
lost  and  we  dashed  into  a  deep  snowdrift  at  the  bottom, 
where  men,  deer  and  sleds  were  mixed  up  in  inextricable 
confusion,  and  whence  the  sled  which  followed  us  looked 
like  a  fly  crawling  down  a  white  wall.  The  temperature 
that  day  was  45°  below  zero,  but  I  hardly  felt  the  cold, 
although  the  next  morning,  as  I  had  not  removed  my 
stockings  on  the  previous  evening,  one  of  my  feet  was 
badly  frozen.  A  change  of  footgear  at  night  is  essential 
when  sleeping  here  in  the  open,  or  perspiration  formed 
during  the  day  congeals  during  sleep  into  solid  ice. 

The  scenery  here  in  winter-time  is  of  wondrous  beauty, 
and  notwithstanding  all  the  suffering  and  privation, 
it  was  almost  enjoyable  in  fine  weather  to  glide  swiftly 
under  pine  branches  glistening  with  hoar-frost,  while 
occasional  rifts  in  the  forest  disclosed  a  glimpse  of  snowy 
peaks  glittering  against  a  sky  of  cloudless  blue,  just  such 
views  as  you  get  in  Switzerland,  although  palatial  hotels, 
snug  chalets,  and  tinkling  cow-bells  were  unfortunately 
wanting  !  Smoking  would  at  such  moments  have  been 
an  additional  consolation,  but  in  these  abnormally  low 
temperatures  a  cigar  becomes  glued  to  the  lips,  and  the 
stem  of  a  pipe  blocked  with  frozen  nicotine. 

Verkhoyansk,  which  is  generally  reached  in  about  a 
fortnight  from  Yakutsk,  is  called  by  Russians  the  "  Heart 
of  Siberia,"  but  political  exiles  know  it  by  another  name 
which  is  also  preceded  by  the  letter  "  H,"  but  has  a 
different  meaning  !  It  consisted  of  forty  or  fifty  mud- 
plastered  log  huts  in  various  stages  of  decay  and  half 
buried  in  snow-drifts  over  which  ice  windows  peered 
mournfully.  Glazing  is  cheap  in  these  parts,  for  you 
simply  cut  a  block  of  ice  six  or  eight  inches  thick  from  the 
nearest  stream,  lay  it  on  the  roof  of  a  hut  until  required, 
and  then  fix  it  with  snow;  which  soon  freezes,  the  cold 
being  so  intense  that  notwithstanding  internal  warmth 


138  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

one  ice  window  generally  lasts  throughout  the  winter. 
I  thought  that  a  more  gloomy  God-forsaken  spot  than 
Verkhoyansk  could  scarcely  exist  on  the  face  of  this 
earth.  But  I  had  yet  to  see  Sredni-Kolymsk.  Only 
the  Chief  of  Police,  and  half  a  dozen  political  exiles,  and 
a  few  Yakutes  formed  this  little  colony.  Yet  the  Russian 
official  received  me  in  the  familiar  grey  and  scarlet 
uniform,  reminding  me  that  even  this  remote  corner  of 
the  empire  was  under  the  eagle  eye  of  the  secret  police  ! 

An  empty  hut  was  assigned  to  me  which,  although 
devoid  of  furniture,  was  weatherproof  and  snug  enough 
with  a  roaring  fire,  which  was  badly  needed,  for  Verkho- 
yansk is  the  coldest  place  in  the  world.  During  my 
stay  only  50°  below  zero  was  experienced,  but  I  en- 
countered, about  200  miles  north,  78°,  which  froze  the 
breath  into  powder  as  it  left  the  lips.  Yet  I  can  safely 
say  that  I  have  felt  chillier  in  London  on  a  damp 
December  day  than  in  this  phenomenal  but  dry  and 
still  atmosphere  !  For,  by  a  merciful  dispensation  of 
Providence,  there  is  never,  in  anything  more  than 
40°  below  zero,  any  wind,  or  no  human  being  could 
survive  it.1 

The  political  exiles  here  declared  that  they  had  little 
to  complain  of  except  of  course  utter  stagnation,  severe 
climatic  conditions,  and  a  chronic  insufficiency  of  food. 
Winter,  they  said,  was  preferable  to  summer,  which, 
however,  had  one  compensation  in  the  shape  of  constant 
daylight;  for  candles  could  only  be  purchased  at  a 
ruinous  cost,  and  they  practically  lived  in  darkness. 
Deer  meat  was  the  chief  article  of  food,  but  tea  and  sugar 
were  so  dear  that  the  former  was  boiled  over  and  over 
again  until  it  was  tasteless,  and  sugar  held  in  the  mouth 
and  removed  to  serve  another  time.  Vegetables, 
although  cultivated  at  Yakutsk,  were  here  unobtainable, 
and  although  wild  flowers  grew  freely  in  July  and  August, 
they  were  as  scentless  as  immortelles. 

There  is  only  one  (so-called)  mail  a  year  from  Ver- 
khoyansk to  Sredni-Kolymsk,  which  is  carried  in  sleds 
by  the  Cossacks,  who  convoy  a  consignment  there  every 
twelve  months  of  from  three  to  half  a  dozen  political 

1  Eighty-one  degrees  below  zero  was  once  registered  at  Verkho- 
yansk :  a  record  throughout  the  world. 


FROZEN   ASIA  139 

exiles.1  This  journey  (about  as  far  as  from  London  to 
Constantinople)  can  only  be  accomplished  in  winter,  for 
it  lies  across  a  region  which  unless  it  is  in  a  frozen  con- 
dition no  man  can  traverse.  Moreover,  numerous  lakes 
and  rivers  have  to  be  crossed,  which  in  their  natural 
state  would  present  insuperable  obstacles,  for  boats 
are,  of  course,  unobtainable,  and  a  considerable  portion 
of  the  distance  lies  beyond  the  limit  of  trees. 

It  took  me  over  three  weeks  to  accomplish  this 
voyage  with  reindeer,  and  now  the  "  stancias  "  were  so 
far  apart  that  we  generally  had  to  rely  for  shelter  on 
the  "  povarnias,"  which  I  have  already  described. 

"  League  on  league  of  Desolation, 
Mile  on  mile  on  mile  without  a  change," 

aptly  describes  the  huge  desert  of  snow  which,  in  winter, 
separates  Verkhoyansk  from  the  Polar  Sea.  And  so 
sparsely  is  this  region  peopled  that  even  a  whole  town  can 
vanish  from  off  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  no  one  be  any 
the  wiser.  As  a  proof  of  this,  Mr.  George  Kennan  relates 
the  following  anecdote,  which  is  endorsed  by  official 
statistics. 

"  In  1879  there  lived  in  the  city  of  Pultava  a  poor 
apothecary  named  Schiller,  who  was  banished  as  a 
political  offender  to  a  village  in  the  Province  of  Kostroma. 
Schiller  finding  life  tedious,  ran  away,  and  about  this 
time  the  Tsar  issued  a  command  directing  that  all  exiles 
found  absent  from  places  of  banishment  without  leave 
should  be  sent  to  the  Province  of  Yakutsk.  When,  there- 
fore, Schiller  was  re-arrested,  he  was  banished  to  Irkutsk, 
and  the  Governor-General  of  Eastern  Siberia  was  re- 
quested to  place  him  under  police  surveillance  in  some 
part  of  the  territory  named  in  the  Imperial  command. 
The  Governor-General  (who  had  only  recently  come  to 
Irkutsk)  was  not  familiar  with  the  vast  region  entrusted 
to  his  care,  and  therefore  directed  that  Schiller  be  sent 
to  the  town  of  Zashiversk,  which  was  (supposed  to  be) 
situated  on  the  River  Indigirka,  a  few  miles  south  of  the 
Arctic  Circle.  A  century  ago  Zashiversk  was  a  town  of 
considerable  importance,  but  it  lost  its  pre-eminence  as  a 
fur-trading  centre,  fell  gradually  into  decay,  and  finally 
1  Before  the  recent  revolution. 


140  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

ceased  to  exist.  Its  location,  however,  was  still  marked 
on  all  the  maps,  and  '  tchinovniks  '  in  Irkutsk  were  still 
pocketing  the  money  appropriated  for  repairs  to  its 
public  buildings ;  when,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  it  had  not 
contained  a  building  or  inhabitant  for  more  than  half  a 
century,  and  forest  trees  covered  the  ground  it  had  once 
occupied.  Poor  Schiller,  after  being  carried  three  or 
four  times  up  and  down  the  Rivers  Lena  and  Indigirka 
in  a  vain  search  for  a  non-existent  Arctic  town,  was  finally 
brought  back  to  Yakutsk  and  a  report  was  made  to  the 
Governor-General  that  Zashiversk  had  ceased  to  exist  ! 
The  Governor-General  therefore  ordered  that  the  prisoner 
be  taken  to  Sredni-Kolymsk,  which  place,  after  more 
than  a  year  of  constant  travel,  the  unfortunate  druggist 
eventually  reached." 

I  employed  on  this  journey  over  1000  deer  (many  of 
which  perished) ;  and  as  we  gradually  crept  onward  into 
the  unknown,  a  sense  of  unspeakable  loneliness  seemed  to 
increase  with  every  mile  we  covered.  Now  that  shelter 
was  so  rarely  available,  an  additional  cause  of  suffering 
was  want  of  sleep ;  for  in  the  open,  on  closing  the  eyes  the 
breath  in  a  short  time  formed  a  layer  of  ice  over  the  face 
which,  melting  in  the  warmer  region  of  the  neck,  gradu- 
ally trickled  down  next  the  skin  until  by  the  morning 
every  stitch  of  underclothing  was  saturated.  If  slumber 
was  prolonged  for  any  time  the  mouth  and  eyelids  would 
be  closed  by  thin  ice,  and  one  would  be  awakened  by 
choking  and  gasping  for  breath. 

I  reached  Sredni-Kolymsk  in  brilliant  sunshine,  but 
the  aspect  of  that  dismal  settlement  seemed  to  darken  the 
landscape,  and  fill  the  mind  with  a  vague  sense  of  gloomy 
unrest.  A  double  row  of  tumbledown  log  huts,  clus- 
tered around  the  ruins  of  a  wooden  church,  formed  the 
main  street,  which  was  surrounded  by  perhaps  a  score 
of  other  equally  squalid  hovels.  All  around  a  desolate 
plain  of  snow  with  patches  of  Arctic  vegetation  fringing 
the  frozen  River  Kolyma — over  all  the  silence  of  death. 
The  place  looked  less  like  an  abode  of  humanity  than 
one  deserted  by  trappers  or  decimated  by  deadly  sick- 
ness ;  yet  presently  one  or  two  skin-clad  haggard -looking 
wretches  emerged  from  the  huts,  and  nodded  a  cheerless 
welcome.  The  very  air  seemed  tainted  with  death  and 


FROZEN  ASIA  141 

disease,  and  the  place  to  scrawl  the  word  "  Despair  " 
across  the  desolate  world. 

There  were  about  200  people  here,  including  one 
official,  and  fourteen  exiles  who  needed  no  guards, 
bolts  or  bars,  for  nature  supplied  all  three.  Death  would 
surely  have  followed  any  attempt  to  escape,  for  hundreds 
of  miles  must  be  traversed  in  any  direction  before  reach- 
ing any  sign  of  help  or  humanity.  Natives  of  the  Yakute 
tribe  formed  the  remainder  of  the  population,  and  this 
was  fortunate,  for  Sredni-Kolymsk  was  the  starting-point 
of  my  further  journey  of  2000  miles  along  an  uninhabited 
coast  to  the  Bering  Straits.  And  these  people  possessed 
a  few  dogs,  which  eventually  enabled  me  to  reach  them. 

I  found  here  fourteen  political  exiles,  two  of  whom 
were  women,  and  one  of  the  latter  being  The'isa  Akimoff 
who  attempted  to  assassinate  the  deposed  Tsar  at  his 
coronation.1  The  others  had  been  convicted  of  such 
serious  political  offences  that  they  had  been  condemned 
to  death,  the  capital  sentence  having  been  commuted  to 
perpetual  banishment  in  this  Arctic  "  Inferno."  It  is 
now,  however,  my  object  merely  to  describe  how  ordin- 
ary mortals  live  in  these  remote  regions,  and  not  to 
discuss  the  justice  or  otherwise  of  Russian  penal  methods, 
although  I  may  add  that  I  have  recently  been  informed 
that  Sredni-Kolymsk  has  now  been  abolished  as  a  place 
of  exile.  That  it  was  only  known  during  its  existence 
to  the  dreaded  "  Third  Section,"  or  secret  police,  is 
indicated  by  the  following  remark  which  was  made  to  me 
by  one  of  the  exiles  here  :  "If  the  Emperor,"  he  said, 
"  could  only  be  informed  of  the  life  we  lead  in  this  ghastly 
place,  he  would  do  away  with  it  to-morrow." 

Sredni-Kolymsk  is,  in  summer,  as  isolated  from  the 
rest  of  the  world  as  a  desert  island,  by  flooded  marshes, 
swamps  and  lakes  which  extend  inland  in  every  direction 
for  over  1000  miles.  A  sled  skims  easily  over  their 
frozen  surface,  but  from  June  till  September  the  soil  is 
so  wet  and  spongy  that  you  can  only  walk  a  few  yards 
with  the  utmost  difficulty.  Summer  here  consists  of  a 
few  weeks  of  damp  and  cloudy  weather,  when,  even  on  a 
fine  day,  the  sun  looms  through  a  curtain  of  mist,  while 
swarms  of  mosquitoes  add  to  other  miseries,  the  sole 
1  See  chap.  iii.  p.  20, 


142  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

protection  against  these  pests  being  a  heap  of  damp  moss 
which  is  kept  perpetually  smouldering  on  the  threshold 
of  every  dwelling,  suffocating  the  inmates  with  clouds  of 
acrid  smoke.  The  huts  were  about  six  feet  high,  and 
each  contained  only  one  room  with  a  floor  of  beaten 
earth,  on  which  a  few  planks  were  laid  for  a  sleeping- 
place.  An  old  kerosene  tin  formed  the  only  seat  in  a 
hovel  I  entered,  of  which  the  occupant  (an  exile)  kindled 
a  few  sticks  on  the  open  hearth  which  burnt  brightly 
for  a  moment  and  then  flickered  out,  whereupon  he 
clambered  on  to  the  roof  and  closed  the  chimney  with 
a  bundle  of  rags.  This  is  the  Yakute  mode  of  warming 
an  apartment,  for  firewood  is  so  scarce  that  even  in 
the  depth  of  winter  the  warmth  from  an  ordinary  fire  can 
never  be  enjoyed.  At  this  season  salt  fish  and  rye  bread 
are  alone  obtainable,  but  in  the  spring-time  better  food 
is  provided  in  the  form  of  geese,  duck,  and,  until  the 
autumn,  fresh  fish.  Cold  and  hunger  were,  however, 
less  dreaded  than  the  uncanny  and  unbroken  silence  of 
winter,  and  this  fact  I  learnt  from  the  Chief  of  Police  as 
we  stood  one  evening  watching  the  frozen  river  darkening 
in  the  dusk.  "  The  stillness  here  is  worse  than  anything," 
he  declared.  "  Day  after  day,  year  after  year,  not  a  sound 
except  the  dull  roar  of  ice  when  the  Kolyma  breaks  up  in 
the  spring.  I  have  stood  here  at  midday  and  heard  a 
watch  tick  in  my  pocket,  and  although  only  a  few  months 
have  elapsed  since  my  arrival,  I  shall  apply  for  leave  next 
year,  or —  "  and  he  tapped  his  forehead  significantly. 

If  summer  here  possesses  one  advantage  arising  from 
more  abundant  food,  it  also  produces  more  sickness, 
especially  malaria  and  smallpox,  while  some  of  the 
Yakutes  suffered  from  leprosy.  There  is  also  a  mental 
disease  peculiar  to  these  regions  which  is  more  dreaded 
than  any  bodily  ailment,  and  is  common  to  both  sexes, 
who  reside  here  for  any  length  of  time.1  The  attack  is 

1  The  Russian  explorer,  Von  Wrangell,  mentions  an  apparently 
similar  mental  disease  as  existing  in  these  regions  in  1820.  He  writes  : 
"  There  is  here  (Sredni-Kolymsk)  that  singular  malady  called  miralc, 
which,  according  to  the  universal  superstition  of  the  people,  proceeds 
from  the  ghost  of  a  much-dreaded  sorceress,  which  is  supposed  to 
enter  into  and  torment  the  patient.  The  mirak  appears  to  me  to  be 
only  an  extreme  degree  of  hysteria;  the  persons  attacked  are  chiefly 
women  n  (Siberia  and  the  Polar  Sea,  by  Von  Wrangell,  1829). 


• 


; 


*v 


A   POLITICAL   EXILE   AT    SREDNI-KOLYMSK   HOLDING   A   FROZEN   FISH 


FROZEN   ASIA  143 

usually  sudden ;  a  previously  sane  and  intelligent  person 
proceeding  to  shout,  sing  and  dance  for  no  apparent 
reason,  and  also  to  imitate  the  voice  and  actions  of  others 
who  may  be  present  at  the  time.  The  sufferer  becomes 
in  most  cases  permanently  deranged. 

Although  I  only  remained  here  ten  days,  it  seemed  on 
the  day  of  my  departure  as  though  weeks  had  elapsed,  so 
intolerable  were  the  monotony  and  depression.  I  may 
mention  that  we  were  the  first  strangers  from  the  outer 
world  to  visit  this  place  (with  the  exception  of  officials, 
exiles,  and  Cossacks)  for  over  forty  years,  the  last  being 
two  shipwrecked  sailors  from  the  ill-fated  Arctic  steamer 
Jeannette.  And  I  embarked  from  here  on  a  hazardous 
journey  to  the  Bering  Straits  almost  with  a  sense  of 
relief,  notwithstanding  serious  misgivings  that  these 
unhappy  beings  might  be  the  last  fellow -creatures  I 
should  ever  behold  on  this  earth. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

SOME   CURIOUS   CREEDS 

RELIGIOUS  dissension  in  Russia  has  existed  for  cen- 
turies, according  to  Stepniak  (the  famous  Socialist),  who 
writes  that,  as  early  as  1370,  a  sect  was  founded  in  the 
town  of  Pskov,  by  one  Strigolnik,  whose  doctrine  rejected 
the  sacraments  and  priesthood,  and  only  tolerated  con- 
fession if  a  penitent  prostrated  himself  and  confessed  his 
sins  to  mother  earth.  The  Strigolniks  led  a  severe 
monastic  life,  devoted  to  fasting  and  prayer,  and  so 
despised  their  less  ascetic  fellow-townsmen  that  the 
latter  resented  the  insult,  and  the  dissenters  were  there- 
fore quickly  suppressed  in  the  forcibly  unpleasant 
manner  which,  in  mediaeval  days,  was  usually  employed. 

The  Greek  Church  in  Russia  is  generally  associated 
with  almost  tyrannical  intolerance,  and  yet  there  is  no 
country  in  the  world  where  so  many  forms  of  faith  are 
practised,  of  course  in  secrecy,  for  severe  penalties  are 
visited  on  dissenters  from  the  orthodox  faith.  The  latter 
somewhat  resembles  the  Catholic  religion,  for  the  Holy 
Virgin  and  the  saints  are  worshipped,  High  Mass  is  said, 
and  confession  is  compulsory,  although  a  priest  is  not 
only  permitted,  but  encouraged  to  marry,  and  instru- 
mental music  in  churches  is  prohibited.  The  Greek 
Church  imposes  innumerable  fasts,  and  its  saints-days 
number  nearly  half  those  in  the  year,  while  services 
are  conducted  in  the  ancient  Sclavonic  dialect,  only 
sermons  being  delivered  in  the  modern  Russian  tongue. 
Lent  being  very  strictly  observed,  no  meat  is  eaten  for  the 
six  weeks  which  precede  Easter  Day,  when  the  universal 
gaiety  which  prevails  is  often  due  to  physical,  as  well  as 
spiritual,  reasons.  An  orthodox  Russian's  religion  enters 
into  the  most  trivial  details  of  his  daily  life,  and  even 
before  starting  on  a  short  journey  his  entire  household 

144 


SOME  CURIOUS   CREEDS  145 

prays  that  safety  may  attend  a  traveller,  even  though  he 
be  an  unorthodox  guest;  indeed,  I  could  occasionally 
have  dispensed  with  these  ceremonies  when  hurrying  to 
catch  a  train,  or  starting  off  in  the  wilds  with  an  unruly 
dog-team  !  In  the  same  way,  soldiers  on  active  service 
seldom  venture  to  attack  without  being  previously 
blessed  by  a  "  pope,"  thousands  of  whom  accompany 
the  army  on  campaign.  Even  houses  and  rivers  are 
blessed  by  the  clergy  in  order  to  ward  off  destruction  by 
fire,  or  to  ensure  a  plentiful  supply  of  fish  ! 

The  Russian  "  pope  "  is  generally  well  paid  for  his 
services,  and  in  former  days  was  therefore  often  tempted 
to  over-indulge  in  the  "  vodka,"  which  flowed  freely 
on  feast-days.  It  was  my  privilege  to  enjoy  the  friend- 
ship of  the  late  Procurator  of  the  Holy  Synod,  M.  Pobe- 
donostzeff,  who  devoted  the  last  years  of  his  life  to 
remedying  this  evil,  and  generally  raising  the  tone  of  the 
rural  clergy;  while,  a  few  weeks  before  his  death,  he 
abolished  hereditary  priesthood,  which  was  obviously 
open  to  many  objections.  The  Jews  1  were  also  granted 
greater  privileges  under  this  humane  and  distinguished 
official,  and  it  is  only  fair  to  add  that  the  Russian  Govern- 
ment was  less  responsible  for  the  "  Pogroms,"  or  street 
massacres,  which,  at  the  time,  aroused  such  indignation 
throughout  Europe,  than  infuriated  Christian  citizens 
whom  even  strong  military  forces  were  unable  to  restrain. 

The  Russian  Lutherans  number  several  millions,  and 
Catholics  are  almost  as  numerous,  but  both  these, 
although  practically  nonconformists,  are  only  interfered 
with  by  the  State  if  they  attempt  to  make  converts  from 
the  Greek  Church.  All  other  dissenters  are  known  as 
"  Raskolniks,"2  although  this  term  really  only  applies 
to  the  "  Staro-Vieri,"  or  "  Old-Believers,"  whose  tenets 
are  closely  allied  to  the  Greek  Church,  and  whose  creed, 
although  illegal,  is  therefore  regarded  with  greater 
leniency  by  the  Holy  Synod  than  any  of  the  proscribed 
sects  which  I  shall  presently  enumerate.  This  tolerance 
is  probably  due  to  the  fact  that  many  members  of  this 

1  The  Russian  Empire  is  said  to  contain  more  than  half  the  Jews  in 
the  world. 

2  The  word  "  Raskolniks  "  signifies  "  to  split  asunder,"  and  is  thus 
descriptive  of  seceders  from  the  Orthodox  Church. 

L 


146  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW   IT 

sect  are  influential  members  of  society,1  devoting  a 
considerable  portion  of  their  wealth  to  the  maintenance 
and  education  of  the  poor.  The  "  Raskolniks  "  chiefly 
inhabit  the  northern  parts  of  Russia,  to  which  they  were 
exiled  in  olden  days,  and  where  they  made  many  converts 
amongst  the  Lapps  and  Samoyedes. 

The  "  Staro-Vieri "  cannot,  perhaps,  be  called  dissenters 
in  the  true  sense  of  the  word,  for  in  remote  places  they 
often  employ  an  orthodox  "  pope  "  to  conduct  their 
services,  while  the  most  trivial  causes  seem  to  have  led  to 
the  separation  of  the  churches,  such  as  making  the  sign 
of  the  Cross  with  two  fingers  instead  of  three,  and  other 
equally  minor  methods  of  worship.  Scrupulous  cleanli- 
ness is  maintained  by  every  "  Old-Believer,"  who  will  not 
eat  out  of  a  plate  or  drink  from  a  cup  which  has  been 
used  by  any  one  but  himself,  these  articles  being  at  once 
destroyed  if  "  polluted  "  by  any  one  but  their  owner. 

There  are  no  less  than  a  hundred  proscribed  sects  in 
the  Russian  Empire,  which,  as  they  are  scattered,  not  only 
throughout  European  Russia,  but  also  Siberia,  gather 
many  adherents  amongst  the  simple-minded,  supersti- 
tious peasantry.  Space  will  only  allow  of  a  description 
of  the  most  important,  amongst  these  being  the  "  Dukho- 
bortsi,"  who  number  about  50,000,  and  chiefly  reside  in 
Southern  Russia.  The  late  Count  Tolstoi  was  a  great 
admirer  of  these  people,  whose  faith  specially  appealed 
to  him,  chiefly  because,  being  mostly  of  humble  origin, 
their  religion  is  based  on  the  equality  of  man.  This 
socialistic  doctrine  in  an  autocratic  country  at  one  time 
subjected  this  sect  to  much  persecution,  and  Catherine  II., 
although  friendly  with  the  "  Old-Believers,"  was  one 
of  its  bitterest  opponents.  Yet,  notwithstanding  their 
progressive  proclivities,  the  "  Dukhobortsi "  are  now 
peaceable  citizens,  and  therefore  enjoy  freedom  and 
privileges  which  were  denied  them  in  olden  days.  They  do 
not  worship  the  Supreme  Being,  believing  that  the  Deity 
dwells  in  the  soul  of  every  man,  revealing  its  spiritual 
influence  through  his  mind  and  actions.  The  ordinary 
conception  of  Immortality  is  not  admitted,  nor  the 
existence  of  Heaven  or  Hell,  for  the  "  Dukhobor  "  regards 
the  promises  of  a  future  life  as  set  forth  by  the  Scriptures 
1  They  number  about  thirty  millions. 


SOME   CURIOUS   CREEDS  147 

to  apply  only  to  human  existence.  The  world  will  never, 
he  avers,  be  destroyed,  or  depopulated,  but  eventually 
good  will  overcome  evil,  and  all  will  be  harmony  and 
peace  on  earth,  where  conditions  of  human  life  will 
continue  to  exist,  in  their  present  state,  for  all  eternity. 

The  "  Dukhobortsi "  possess  no  sacred  buildings,  having 
a  strong  aversion  to  any  kind  of  religious  ceremony. 
Baptism,  marriage  and  burial  are  therefore  solemnized 
by  a  simple  declaration,  usually  made  by  the  head  of  a 
family,  who  officiates  as  priest.  Some  years  ago  a  party 
of  these  people  settled  in  Canada,  where  they  were  at 
once  arrested  by  the  police  for  appearing  in  public  in  a 
state  of  nudity,  this  practice  originating  from  the  fact 
that,  so  long  as  Adam  and  Eve  remained  in  a  state  of 
nature,  they  retained  their  chastity  !  The  "  Dukho- 
bortsi "  are,  to  a  man,  "  conscientious  objectors  "  to 
military  service,  thereby  occasionally  exposing  them- 
selves to  as  much  contempt  and  ridicule  as  those  mis- 
guided beings  who,  in  England,  now  seek  to  cloak  their 
cowardice  under  this  feeble  and  palpable  pretext. 

The  "  Molokani,"  or  "  milk-drinkers,"1  seceded  from  the 
"  Dukhobortsi "  about  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
then  forming  an  entirely  independent  community,  which 
has  so  rapidly  increased  that  they  are  now  more  numer- 
ous than  the  original  sect  of  which  they  formerly  formed 
part.  The  "Molokani,"  unlike  the  "Dukhobortsi," 
believe  in  a  future  existence  but  not  in  Hell,  maintaining 
that  sinners  are  punished  in  this  world,  not  in  the  next ; 
however  much  a  man  has  transgressed,  all  will  be 
forgiven  him.  Their  meetings  are  held  in  an  ordinary 
dwelling-house,  and  they  are  of  the  simplest  description, 
one  person  reading  passages  from  the  Bible  and  then 
expatiating  upon  the  text.  I  have  heard  some  of  their 
sacred  music,  which  is  very  beautiful  and  less  mournful 
than  that  of  the  Greek  Church,  being  generally  in  the 
major  key.  A  "  Molokani  "  marriage  is  solemnized  by 
the  reading  of  suitable  passages  from  the  Bible,  followed 
by  a  brief  exhortation  from  an  elder;  and  divorce, 
although  sanctioned,  is  very  rare. 

The  "  Molokani  "  are  strict  vegetarians,  who  consider 

1  So  called  because  they  keep  no  fasts  and  drink  milk  freely  during 
Lent. 


148  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

it  sinful  to  sacrifice  animals  for  food,  total  abstainers, 
and,  like  the  "  Dukhobortsi,"  are  so  averse  to  conscrip- 
tion that  they  are  always  assigned  to  non-combatant 
sections  of  the  army. 

Although  of  comparatively  modern  origin,  the  "  Stun- 
dists  "  have  now  become  a  very  influential  sect,  which 
originated  at  Odessa,  on  the  Black  Sea,  but  now  has 
followers  in  many  other  parts  of  Russia.  The  founders 
are  said  to  have  been  German  Lutherans  who  migrated 
to  the  fertile  black-lands  about  sixty  years  ago,  and  the 
faith  somewhat  resembles  that  of  "  Christian  Science," 
for  although  the  Scriptures  are  read,  the  clergy  is  replaced 
by  elders,  who  conduct  services  at  which  any  member 
of  the  congregation  may  address  the  remainder.  Many 
of  the  Stundists  are  wealthy,  and  as  the  poorer  members 
are  generally  thrifty,  law-abiding  people,  they  are  rarely 
interfered  with  by  the  authorities. 

The  "Old-Believers,"  "Dukhobortsi,"  "  Molokani," 
and  "  Stundists  "  are,  perhaps,  the  most  important  reli- 
gious sects  in  Russia ;  but  there  are,  of  course,  innumer- 
able others,  a  few  of  which  lean  towards  mysticism  and 
even  pagan  worship.  These  include  the  "  Stranik,"  a 
kind  of  hermit,  who  forsakes  civilization  to  lead  a 
lonely  and  primitive  life  in  the  forests ;  the  "  Philip- 
povtsi,"  who  regard  suicide  and  the  killing  of  their  friends 
as  virtues;  the  " Moltchatni,"  who,  like  the  Trappist 
monks,  take  vows  of  eternal  silence ;  and  the  "  Skaurny," 
a  dancing  sect  resembling  our  English  Shakers.  I  have 
personally  only  come  in  contact  with  the  members  of 
three  of  these  minor  communities,  viz  :  the  "  Napoleon- 
ists,"  "  Skoptsi,"  and  "  Shamans,"  who,  however,  are 
perhaps  the  most  curious  and  interesting  of  them  all. 

I  met  the  "  Napoleonist  "  some  years  ago,  on  the 
shores  of  Lake  Baikal,  and  although  the  former  thereby 
ran  the  risk  of  a  long  term  of  imprisonment,  he  was  not 
afraid  to  impart,  under  vows  of  strict  secrecy,  the  prin- 
ciples of  his  mystic  faith  to  an  Englishman.  I,  therefore, 
learnt  that  the  "  Napoleonists  "  (who  reside  only  in 
Eastern  Siberia)  exclusively  worship  the  Great  Emperor, 
regarding  his  departed  Majesty  not  only  as  the  coming 
Messiah,  but  as  their  actual  ruler,  thereby  disavowing  all 
allegiance  to  the  Tsar.  My  informant  produced  a  small 


SOME   CURIOUS   CREEDS  149 

plaster  bust  of  Bonaparte,  which  he  worshipped  every 
night,  and  assured  me  that  Napoleon's  spirit  had  flown 
from  St.  Helena  to  the  shores  of  the  great  Siberian  lake, 
where  it  was  only  awaiting  a  favourable  opportunity  to 
resume  a  mortal  shape.  An  enormous  army  would 
then  be  raised  to  overthrow  the  Romanoff  dynasty,  and 
the  world  would  gradually  be  subjected  to  the  Muscovite 
yoke,  under  Bonaparte,  when  those  who  had  remained 
faithful  to  him  would  enjoy  eternal  peace  and  prosperity. 

On  another  occasion  I  visited  a  small  colony  of  the 
"  Skoptsi,"  near  Yakutsk,  to  which  place  they  had  been 
banished  for  religious  offences,  but  where  they  had  con- 
trived, even  in  these  Arctic  wilds,  to  raise  a  flourishing 
agricultural  settlement  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city. 
Cultivation  of  any  kind  had,  before  their  arrival,  been 
deemed  impossible  in  this  inclement  region,  but  now  the 
Skopt  exile  amasses  wealth,  while  the  poor  "  moujik  " 
gazes  enviously  at  his  fertile  fields  and  sleek  cattle,  and 
wonders  how  it  is  all  done.  And  his  surprise  is  only 
natural,  for  the  yearly  sale  by  these  people  of  corn  and 
barley  (formerly  unknown)  now  realizes  over  a  million 
roubles  !  Moreover,  only  thirty  years  ago  the  entire 
Yakutsk  district  contained  but  a  few  head  of  miserable 
half -starved  cattle,  whereas  the  Skoptsi  now  export, 
every  year,  two  million  roubles'  worth  of  frozen  meat  to 
various  settlements  on  the  Lena,  and  provide  the  market 
at  Yakutsk  with  several  kinds  of  vegetables,  where  for- 
merly only  potatoes  were  obtainable. 

I  found  the  little  community  which  had  accomplished 
this  agricultural  miracle  at  Markha,  near  Yakutsk,  where 
every  soul  in  the  place  was  a  Skopt,  and  where  the  scru- 
pulous cleanliness  of  the  village  was  in  agreeable  contrast 
to  the  dirt  and  squalor  of  others  in  the  vicinity.  The 
Chief-Elder's  well-built  wooden  house  was  comfortably 
furnished,  and  contained  an  extensive  library,  while  his 
sitting-room  was  adorned  with  palms  and  flowers,  ob- 
viously artificial,  but  which  were  none  the  less  cheerful 
and  comforting  on  that  grey  and  wintry  day.  And,  to 
my  surprise,  my  host  gave  me  an  excellent  lunch  and 
plied  me  with  champagne,  for  these  people,  although 
misers  at  heart,  are  fond  of  displaying  their  wealth, 
which  is  generally  considerable.  Yet  they  are  generous 


150  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

and  kind  to  their  poor,  as  was  shown  by  an  institute 
maintained  here  for  the  aged  and  needy  of  both  sexes. 

My  Skopt  entertainer  was  a  bright,  intelligent  person, 
well  posted  in  current  subjects  of  interest  even  in  distant 
Europe,  but  he  and  the  rest  were,  notwithstanding  their 
friendliness  and  hospitality,  the  most  repulsive  collection 
of  beings  I  have  ever  beheld.  The  men,  both  young  and 
old,  were  stout  and  ungainly,  with  smooth,  pasty  faces, 
and  a  shrill  treble  voice,  while  the  women  looked  ema- 
ciated and  prematurely  aged.  Not  being  then  ac- 
quainted with  the  revolting  practices  of  this  sect,  I 
ingenuously  remarked  on  the  apparent  scarcity  of  very 
young  people  in  Markha,  and  was  informed  that  the 
"  White  Doves  5>1  are  bound  by  vows  of  absolute  chastity, 
both  sexes  so  mutilating  themselves  that  they  can  neither 
beget  nor  bear  children.  They  therefore  seemed  to 
regard  the  acquisition  of  riches  as  their  sole  pleasure  in 
life.  When  a  Skopt  dies  his  property  should  legally 
revert  to  the  State,  but  he  generally  conceals  it  in  some 
remote  place  where,  if  not  discovered,  it  indefinitely 
remains.  The  Skopt  religion  seems  to  be  founded  on  the 
text :  "If  thine  eye  offend  thee  pluck  it  out,"  for  it 
argues  that  a  man  should  be  as  sexless  as  an  Angel,  in 
order  to  gain  the  approval  of  his  Maker,  quite  ignoring 
the  deadly  sin  which  is  committed  to  attain  this  end. 

The  "  Khlysti "  derive  their  title  from  the  word 
"  Khlyst,"  a  whip,  and  date  back  to  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury, calling  themselves  the  "  People  of  God,"  although 
they  are  known  to  the  orthodox  church  simply  as  "  The 
Flagellants."  The  exact  principles  of  this  faith  are 
rather  hard  to  define,  although  it  is  probably  remotely 
allied  to  Christianity,  for  the  "  Khlysti  "  declare  that 
Our  Saviour  occasionally  re-visits  this  earth  in  human 
shape,  a  suitable  member  of  the  sect  being  generally 
deputed  to  impersonate  Him.  I  could  never  glean,  even 
from  Russians  well  read  on  the  subject,  what  transpires 
during  the  services  held  by  these  people,  which  take 
place  at  dead  of  night  and  with  the  utmost  secrecy, 
every  member  being  admitted  by  a  different  pass-word. 
Some  say  that  the  proceedings  are  harmless,  although 
it  is  known  that  both  sexes  dance  together  in  a  state  of 
1  The  "  Skoptsi "  are  known  by  this  name  in  Russia. 


SOME   CURIOUS   CREEDS  151 

nudity  and  whip  each  other  with  birches  until  a  state  of 
religious  frenzy  is  attained,  often  ending  in  a  fit,  or  loss 
of  consciousness.  Others  aver  that  these  ceremonies 
lead  to  acts  of  the  grossest  immorality,  although  the 
Khlysti  are,  in  everyday  life,  generally  staid  and  re- 
spectable people.  Marriage  amongst  them  is,  however, 
unknown,  a  man  living  for  a  time  with  the  partner  of 
his  choice,  and,  when  tired  of  her,  selecting  another, 
which  the  woman  is  also  free  to  do. 

"  Shamanism "  (one  of  the  oldest  religions  in  the 
world)  is  chiefly  practised  by  the  Yakutes,  Tchuktchis 
and  other  fur-clad  races,  for  amongst  civilized  Russians 
it  is  practically  unknown,  and  only  a  few  Europeans 
have  therefore  beheld  the  weird  doings  of  this  community 
in  the  depths  of  the  forest  or  out  on  the  lonely  "  Tun- 
dras." My  friend,  Mr.  J.  Stadling,  the  Swedish  explorer 
(who  some  years  ago  led  an  expedition  through  Northern 
Siberia  in  search  of  Andre),  has  made  a  special  study  of 
the  Shaman  faith,  of  which  the  following  may  be  taken  as 
a  lucid  description  : 1  "  The  Shaman  universe,"  he  writes, 
"  consists  of  a  number  of  planes,  or  worlds,  separated 
from  each  other  by  intermediate  space.  The  seven  upper 
planes  constitute  the  kingdom  of  light,  and  seven,  or 
more,  lower  ones  the  kingdom  of  darkness.  Between 
these  upper  and  lower  layers  the  surface  of  the  earth,  or 
habitation  of  mankind,  is  situated,  whence  the  latter 
is  exposed  to  the  influence  of  both  the  upper  and  lower 
world — i.  e.  the  powers  of  light  and  of  darkness.  All 
the  divinities  which  create  and  preserve  the  children  of 
men  have  their  abode  in  the  upper  planes,  or  world  of 
light,  while  the  planes  of  the  lower  world  harbour  evil 
spirits  ever  seeking  to  destroy  humanity.  In  the  highest 
plane  of  all  (the  '  Seventh  Heaven  '),  the  Great  Tangara 
(as  he  is  called  in  Northern  Siberia)  is  enthroned  and 
exalted  far  above  all  good  or  evil,  for  this  pagan  deity 
meddles  but  little  with  the  Universe,  caring  neither  for 
sacrifices  nor  prayers.  In  the  fifth  or  ninth  plane  of 
the  lower  world  the  Prince  of  Darkness  sits  on  a  black 
throne,  surrounded  by  his  Satanic  court.  The  inter- 
mediate planes  are  the  abode  of  spirits  of  various  degrees 
of  light  and  darkness,  some  being  the  ghosts  of  human 
1  Through  Siberia,  by  J.  Stadling,  London,  1901. 


152  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW   IT 

beings.  These,  however,  are  able  to  influence  the 
destiny  of  man  for  good  or  evil;  whence  the  necessity 
of  the  '  Shaman,'  or  Priest,  who  alone  is  privileged  to 
communicate  with  the  spiritual  world."  There  would 
thus  seem  to  be  some  sort  of  affinity  between  this 
ancient  faith  of  savage  races  and  the  modern  and 
civilized  Theosophy  of  which  my  friend,  the  late  Madame 
Blavatsky,  was  such  an  able  exponent. 

I  once  met  at  Tomsk,  in  Western  Siberia,  a  fur-trader 
who  had  actually  witnessed  a  Shaman  ceremony,  which 
he  thus  described  :  "I  came  on  them  by  accident  in  a 
lonely  part  of  the  forest,  but  concealed  myself  behind 
some  undergrowth.  In  a  circle  of  flaming  logs  I  beheld 
perhaps  a  dozen  natives  seated  around  a  priest,  or  Sha- 
man, who  was  clad  in  a  long  white  robe.  Round  his 
neck  was  a  circular  brass  plate  signifying  the  sun,  and 
all  over  his  body  were  suspended  bits  of  metal,  small  bells 
and  copper  coins.  The  ceremony  performed  by  this 
strange  being  seemed  to  consist  of  circling  round,  with- 
out cessation,  for  nearly  an  hour,  at  the  end  of  which 
he  commenced  to  howl  and  foam  at  the  mouth,  to  the 
violent  excitement  of  his  audience.  The  gyrations 
gradually  increased  in  rapidity,  until  at  last  the  dancer 
fell  heavily  to  the  ground,  face  downwards,  apparently 
in  an  epileptic  fit.  The  meeting  then  commenced  to 
disperse,  and  I  fled  as  quickly  and  silently  as  possible, 
for  had  I  been  discovered  my  life  would  certainly  have 
paid  for  my  intrusion." 

The  museum  at  Yakutsk  contains  some  interesting 
relics  pertaining  to  Shamanism,  amongst  others  articles 
found  in  the  tomb,  presumably,  of  an  important  person- 
age, for  it  contained  valuable  jewellery,  arms,  and  per- 
sonal effects.  I  noticed  that  everything,  from  the 
corpse's  shroud  to  a  brass  tobacco-box,  had  been  punc- 
tured with  some  sharp  instrument,  and  a  Russian 
friend  explained  that  all  personal  property  buried  with  a 
Shaman  is  thus  pierced  with  a  dagger,  in  order  to  "  kill  " 
it  before  interment ! 

I  only  once  saw  a  Shaman  priest  in  the  flesh,  and  this 
occurred  in  a  post-house  in  Arctic  Siberia,  where  I  was 
awakened  at  dead  of  night  by  an  object  in  shapeless 
grey  rags,  with  a  pale,  evil  countenance  which,  dimly 


SOME   CURIOUS   CREEDS  153 

revealed  by  flickering  firelight,  leered  at  me  from  a 
tangled  mass  of  coarse  grey  hair.  Every  movement  of 
the  creature  was  accompanied  by  a  tinkling  sound  caused 
by  scraps  of  iron,  rusty  nails,  copper  coins  and  other 
metal  rubbish  which  dangled  around  its  body  from  head 
to  foot.  And  its  presence  was  so  unspeakably  foul  and 
repulsive  that  it  tainted  the  already  fetid  air  with  a 
faint,  sickly  odour  of  corruption.  How,  or  why,  this 
apparition  entered  the  place  I  never  knew,  and  it 
was  stealthily  departing  when  my  Cossack  attendant, 
aroused  by  the  creaking  of  the  door,  promptly  fired  his 
revolver  at  the  retreating  figure,  with  as  little  com- 
punction as  though  it  had  been  a  weasel  or  rat.  "  One 
of  those  cursed  Shamans,"  muttered  my  "  orthodox  " 
companion,  lying  down  again  with  a  grunt  of  disappoint- 
ment; "  pity  I  missed  him  !  " 


CHAPTER  XV 

SOME    STRANGE    RACES 

THE  native  races  who,  from  time  to  time,  have  come 
under  British  rule  may  be  numbered  by  their  millions, 
yet  Russia's  alien  subjects,  although  less  numerous,  are 
almost  as  varied  as  those  which  swear  allegiance  to 
King  George.  I  have  drunk  "  koumiss "  with  the 
Kirghiz,  shared  a  "  narghileh  "  with  a  Bokharan,  and 
eaten  whale-blubber  with  Tchuktchis  in  the  frozen 
north,  and  as  all  were  more  or  less  interesting  from 
various  points  of  view,  a  brief  description  of  some  of 
the  tribes  with  which  I  have  come  in  contact  may  here 
not  be  out  of  place. 

The  most  numerous  non-Slavonic  subjects  of  the 
Tsar  are  the  Tartars,  who  now  number  over  3,000,000, 
and  who,  since  their  first  invasion  of  Russia  early  in 
the  thirteenth  century,  have  so  largely  influenced  the 
course  of  Muscovite  history.  Many  of  them  are  now  as 
well  educated  and  prosperous  as  Europeans,  for  they 
are  a  clean  and  temperate  people,  which  cannot  always 
be  said  of  the  "  moujik,"  although,  unlike  the  latter, 
they  have  a  characteristic  Asiatic  distaste  for  hard 
work  of  any  kind.  The  men  are  generally  middle-sized 
and  muscular,  with  a  sallow  complexion,  broad  nostrils 
and  beady  black  eyes,  while  the  women  disfigure  them- 
selves by  plastering  their  faces  with  paint,  and  generally 
lose  their  good  looks  by  becoming  stout  and  ungraceful 
at  an  early  age.  The  Tartars  are,  of  course,  strict 
Mahometans,  many  becoming  "  mullahs,"  or  priests, 
who,  after  completing  their  education  at  a  large  Maho- 
metan College  at  Ufa,  occasionally  make  the  Mecca 
pilgrimage,  in  order  to  attain  more  religious  influence 
amongst  the  faithful  on  their  return. 

Many  Tartars  in  the  Volga  districts  have  adopted 

154 


SOME   STRANGE   RACES  155 

European  dress,  but  their  heads  are  always  shaven  in 
the  Mahometan  fashion,  and  covered,  even  when 
indoors,  by  a  linen  skull-cap.  The  women  are  never 
permitted  to  perform  manual  work  of  any  kind,  for 
the  men  are  generally  well-to-do,  and  able  to  employ 
as  many  labourers  as  are  necessary  to  cultivate  their 
gardens  and  fields.  A  wealthy  Tartar's  wife  is  there- 
fore generally  a  spoilt,  indolent  creature,  whom  her 
husband  loves  to  bedeck  with  costly  silks  and  jewels, 
and  these  are  worn  even  when  living  in  the  Steppes, 
where  these  people  lead  a  nomadic  life  in  tents,  being 
chiefly  engaged  in  roaming  over  limitless  plains,  herding 
and  grazing  horses,  although  even  here  their  canvas 
dwellings  are  always  luxuriously  furnished.  It  was  in 
one  of  these  "  yurtas  "  l  that  I  first  tasted  "  koumiss," 
or  fermented  mares'  milk,  and  have  no  desire  to  repeat 
the  experiment,  although  I  know  of  several  cases  of 
advanced  consumption  which  have  been  completely 
cured  by  a  lengthened  treatment  of  this  nauseous 
beverage. 

The  "  Tchuvash "  are  another  branch  of  Tartar 
origin,  who  inhabit  the  Orenburg  district,  and  who 
bear  rather  an  evil  reputation,  as,  unlike  most  Tartars, 
they  are  confirmed  thieves  and  drunkards,  who,  having 
become  Christians,  are  rather  despised  by  their  com- 
patriots. The  Christianity  they  practise  is,  however, 
anything  but  orthodox,  and  includes  strange  rites 
(probably  of  Shaman  origin),  while  their  mode  of  divorce 
is  especially  curious.  When  the  decree  is  pronounced, 
husband  and  wife  lie  on  the  ground,  secured  together, 
back  to  back,  by  a  cord,  which  is  severed  by  a  mutual 
friend  of  the  couple,  both  of  whom  are  then  free  to 
marry  again. 

The  Tartar  race  consists  of  so  many  branches  and 
dialects  that  it  would  be  impossible,  in  a  work  of  this 
nature,  to  describe  them  in  detail.  Those  who  im- 
pressed me  the  most  (and  with  whom  I  am  best 
acquainted)  were  the  Kirghiz,  for  they,  more  than 
any,  have  retained  their  Oriental  surroundings  and 
habits,  and  greet  you  with  a  "  salaam "  instead  of 
"  zdrazdvouite,"  2  while  their  villages  have  an  essen- 
1  Tent.  2  Russian  "  Good-day, J1 


156  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

tially  Eastern  appearance,  the  wooden  huts  being 
interspersed  with  brick  mosques  and  minarets,  from 
the  summit  of  which  you  may  hear,  every  evening,  the 
"  muezzin  "  calling  the  people  to  prayer.  The  Kirghiz 
generally  live  in  the  vicinity  of  grazing  lands,  for  they 
live  by  their  horses,  which  are  famed  for  their  speed 
and  endurance,  although  thousands  of  them  perish  in 
winter,  when  no  fodder  is  provided.  For  in  the  Steppes 
a  sudden  rise  of  the  thermometer  frequently  melts  the 
snow,  which  on  re-freezing  is  converted  into  solid  ice, 
through  which  the  poor  beasts  cannot  get  at  the  grass 
beneath.  In  the  spring-time  they  are,  therefore,  reduced 
to  bags  of  bones,  but  soon  recover  under  the  influence 
of  summer  sunshine  and  rich  vegetation.  It  is  a  case, 
however,  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest,  wherefore  the 
Kirghiz  horse  is  even,  if  possible,  hardier  than  the 
Siberian  pony.  The  late  Captain  Burnaby  mentions  a 
chief  of  this  tribe  who  once  galloped  two  hundred  miles 
in  twenty-four  hours  over  steep  and  difficult  country, 
and  his  mount  was  none  the  worse  at  the  finish. 

I  have  always  found  the  Kirghiz  cheery  and  good- 
tempered,  hospitable  and  fond  of  a  joke,  but  such 
terrible  gluttons  that  I  have  seen  three  of  them  dispose 
of  a  fair-sized  sheep  at  a  single  meal !  But  they  are 
tough,  wiry  fellows,  who  generally  die  of  old  age  or 
accident;  and  a  Russian  doctor  told  me  that  their 
longevity  was  chiefly  due  to  "  koumiss,"  which  men, 
women  and  children  imbibe  in  enormous  quantities. 

The  Bashkir  Tartars,  who  inhabit  the  Ural  region, 
are  nomads  like  the  Kirghiz,  and  only  reside  in  villages 
during  the  winter,  living  in  tents  at  other  seasons  of 
the  year  and  tending  droves  of  horses,  of  which  some 
of  their  chiefs  own  two  and  three  thousand.  But  the 
Bashkirs  are  also  good  agriculturists,  and  are  renowned 
as  expert  bee-keepers,  their  hives  furnishing  some  of 
the  best  honey  in  Russia.  They  are  also  fonder  of 
field  sports  than  other  Tartar  tribes,  especially  hawking, 
and  breed  an  unusually  large  kind  of  falcon,  with  which 
they  are  able  to  hunt  foxes  and  even  wolves. 

Space  compels  me  to  pass  over  the  interesting  people 
whom  I  have  met,  from  time  to  time,  in  Russian  Central 
Asia  (which  people  rarely  realize  is  nearly  as  extensive 


SOME  STRANGE  RACES  157 

as  our  Indian  Empire),1  while  the  Georgians,  Circassians, 
and  others  who  inhabit  the  Caucasus  will  be  described 
in  a  following  chapter.  Travelling  due  north,  there- 
fore, from  the  Kirghiz  country,  we  shall  bid  farewell 
to  the  Tartars  at  Kazan,  on  the  Volga,  and,  after  an 
arduous  journey,  reach  the  Arctic  Ocean,  the  coast  of 
which,  from  North  Cape  to  the  Bering  Straits,  is  sparsely 
peopled  by  some  of  the  strangest  people  in  existence. 
These  will  become  gradually  wilder  as  we  progress 
eastward,  easy  reach  of  civilization  rendering  the  Lap- 
lander, at  the  western  extremity  of  these  Arctic  wastes, 
a  decent  member  of  society  as  compared  to  the  depraved 
and  filthy  "  Tchuktchi,"  who  inhabits  the  north-eastern 
coast  of  Siberia,  at  the  other  end  of  the  line. 

The  Samoyedes,  who  inhabit  the  shores  of  the  Arctic 
Ocean  from  the  Yenesei  River  to  the  White  Sea,  number 
about  25,000,  and  are  almost  as  civilized  as  the  Lapps, 
for  many  of  them  are  Christians,  and  frequent  associa- 
tion with  Europeans  has  rendered  them  morally  and 
mentally  superior  to  their  eastern  neighbours,  the 
Ostiaks,  who  may  be  described  as  the  first  step  in  the 
descending  scale  of  civilization.  The  Ostiaks  (about  as 
numerous  as  the  Samoyedes)  2  are  found  in  the  vast 
tract  of  country  lying  between  the  Obi  and  Yenesei 
rivers  and  the  Polar  Sea.  In  summer  they  wander  up 
and  down  the  banks  of  these  rivers,  living  in  birch-bark 
tents,  and  earning  a  livelihood  by  fishing,  the  produce 
of  their  nets  being  salted  and  exported  (via  Tobolsk)  to 
European  Russia,  but  in  early  autumn  the  rivers  are 
gripped  by  ice,  and  the  Ostiak  then  returns  to  his 
winter  quarters  and  reindeer  on  the  coast.  During 
summer  he  lives  entirely  upon  fish,  often  eaten  raw, 
his  winter  diet  consisting  of  bear-flesh,  game,  and 
reindeer  milk.  Compared  with  tribes  further  east  the 
Ostiaks  are  friendly  and  hospitable,  possessing  but  few 
firearms,  and  generally  using  the  old-fashioned  bow 
and  arrow  to  bring  down  the  blue  fox  and  other  valuable 
fur-bearing  animals.  These  people  had  the  quaintest 

1  It  has  an  area  of  1,325,530  square  miles,  that  of  India  being 
1,802,000. 

2  Scurvy  and  a  yet  more  loathsome  disease  introduced  by  Russian 
fur-traders  is  slowly  decimating  this  tribe. 


158  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW  IT 

method  of  measuring  time  I  have  ever  observed,  even 
amongst  savage  races,  for,  when  I  set  out  on  a  short 
journey,  they  said  it  would  take  me  twenty  "  kettles  " 
to  accomplish.  And  I  only  afterwards  discovered  their 
meaning,  which  was  to  the  effect  that  I  should  arrive 
at  my  destination  in  the  same  space  of  time  as  would 
be  needed  to  consecutively  set  cold  water  in  the  said 
kettles  on  the  boil  ! 

I  have  never  visited  the  Ostiak  in  winter  quarters, 
but  arrived  one  evening  at  one  of  their  summer  en- 
campments, and  was  nearly  torn  to  pieces  by  half  a 
dozen  large,  savage  dogs,  which  they  never  move  with- 
out. The  latter  were,  unlike  their  owners,  the  most 
sagacious  beasts  I  ever  saw,  and  also  the  cleanliest, 
for  every  morning  I  saw  them  go  of  their  own  accord 
to  the  river,  and  bathe  like  human  beings  !  An  Ostiak 
encampment  has,  even  in  summer,  a  depressing  aspect, 
and  it  looked  on  this  occasion,  when  viewed  by  the 
light  of  a  crimson  sunset,  the  picture  of  desolation. 
In  the  foreground  columns  of  grey  smoke  rose  sluggishly 
from  two  or  three  grimy  tents,  while  skin-clad  forms 
flitted  silently  to  and  fro  getting  in  the  nets  and  canoes 
for  the  night.  And  it  took  me  some  time  to  become 
inured  to  a  faint,  sickly  odour  which  is  peculiar  to  this 
tribe,  and  is  caused  by  their  repugnance  to  salt,  although 
it  is  provided  for  them,  at  considerable  expense,  by  the 
Government.  Some  of  the  Ostiak  women  would  have 
been  almost  attractive  if  their  teeth  had  not  loosened 
and  dropped  out,  owing  to  a  lack  of  this  essential 
article  of  diet.  Most  Siberian  tribes  regard  their  women 
as  beasts  of  burthen,  but  the  Ostiaks  appeared  to  treat 
their  wives  with  kindness  and  respect.  The  Samoyede 
woman,  on  the  other  hand,  is  invariably  persecuted, 
and,  as  the  men  consider  child-birth  degrading,  the 
unfortunate  mother  is  constantly  maltreated  until  it 
is  born.  A  woman  during  pregnancy  is  tortured  until 
she  confesses  with  whom  she  has  been  unfaithful,  often 
naming  an  imaginary  lover  in  order  to  escape  further 
ill-treatment,  although  even  if  she  be  proved  unchaste 
a  small  sum  of  money,  or  its  equivalent  in  drink  or 
tobacco,  compensates  her  husband. 

I  once  lived  for  some  months  amongst  the  Dyaks  of 


SOME   STRANGE  RACES  159 

Borneo,  and  was,  on  this  occasion,  much  struck  with 
the  many  points  of  similarity  between  them  and  the 
Ostiaks,  although  the  former  are  a  far  finer  race.  The 
dug-out  canoes  used  here  were  identically  the  same  in 
shape  and  construction  as  those  I  had  seen  in  Central 
Borneo,  and  the  Ostiak  paddles  were  carved  with  much 
the  same  patterns,  a  curious  coincidence  which  may 
interest  students  of  ethnology. 

You  must  go  far  afield  even  from  the  remote  town  of 
Yakutsk  (already  described)  to  find  the  indigenous 
native  of  that  enormous  territory,  which,  although  very 
sparsely  peopled,  is  nearly  the  size  of  Europe ;  and  this, 
I  may  add,  is  only  one  of  many  such  districts  in  Siberia  ! 
The  Yakute  is  shorter  and  slighter  than  the  Ostiak,  and 
is  also  less  hospitable  and  more  mercenary,  although, 
unlike  most  of  these  tribes,  he  is  cleanly  and  well 
dressed,  his  fur  garments  being  ornamented  with 
intricate  patterns,  while  the  women  wear  white  deer- 
skins and  a  rather  becoming  head-dress  of  the  same 
material.  The  wealthier  Yakutes  wrear  sables,  of  which 
the  finest  in  the  world  are  found  in  this  district,  and 
sold,  even  here,  for  large  sums  to  Russian  traders  for 
sale  in  the  capitals  of  Europe.  The  Yakutes  are  per- 
haps the  most  intelligent  of  these  Arctic  tribes,  and 
many  are  clever  craftsmen,  who,  like  the  Chinese,  will 
copy  almost  anything  given  them  for  that  purpose.  An 
exile  at  Yakutsk  told  me  that,  being  in  want  of  a  fork, 
he  commissioned  a  Yakute  to  make  him  one  of  wood, 
a  silver  one  being  used  as  a  model,  and  was  much  sur- 
prised to  receive  the  next  day  a  perfect  imitation  of 
the  original  article  skilfully  made  of  iron. 

The  Yakute  winter  dwellings  are  made  of  logs,  which, 
being  protected  by  banks  of  earth,  afford  more  wajmth 
than  those  of  other  natives.  Human  beings,  cows  and 
calves  share  these  "  yurtas,"  and  even  occasionally 
reindeer,  for  the  latter  provide  these  people  with  cloth- 
ing, food  and  drink,  and  are  therefore  carefully  tended, 
the  more  so  that  a  species  of  intoxicant,  nearly  as 
potent  as  "  arak,"  is  derived  from  their  milk.  The 
latter  is  generally  accompanied,  at  festivals,  by  a  kind 
of  cake  made  of  fir-tree  bark,  powdered  very  fine,  which 
reeks  of  turpentine,  but  which  is  here  regarded  as  a 


160  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

luxury.  Epidemics  of  smallpox  are  common  in  this 
district,  and  Russian  traders  frequently  come  upon  a 
village  deserted  by  all  but  dogs  and  reindeer,  while 
the  corpses  of  those  who  have  succumbed  lie  rotting 
above  ground.  And  most  of  them  die,  for  when  a 
Yakute  is  attacked  by  this  dreaded  disease  a  cup  of 
water  and  bundle  of  fire-wood  are  placed  within  reach, 
and  he  is  left  to  his  fate. 

The    Tunguse    country    extends    from    the    Yenesei 

Province  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  also  along  the  whole 
ingth  of  the  river  Amur.  This  is  the  most  numerous 
tribe  in  Siberia  (numbering  about  50,000),  whose  cus- 
toms show  traces  of  Japanese  influence,  for  steam 
communication  has  for  years  existed  between  the  Amur 
and  Japan.  The  Tunguses  are,  however,  dying  out, 
owing  to  the  yearly  increasing  influx  of  Russian  and 
Chinese  emigrants,  whose  more  modern  methods  of  trade 
are  gradually  depriving  the  Tunguses  of  their  former 
means  of  existence  by  the  sale  of  fish,  furs  and  fossil  ivory. 
It  may  interest  the  reader  to  know  how  these  tribes 
dress  in  winter,  in  order  to  withstand  the  ferocious 
cold,  and  my  own  costume  may  serve  as  an  example, 
for  (except  the  underwear  and  "  duffle  "  suit)  it  was 
supplied  to  me  by  a  Yakute.  My  apparel  consisted  of 
two  pairs  of  flannel  singlets  and  drawers,  thin  deerskin 
breeches,  and  three  pairs  of  thick  woollen  socks  reach- 
ing over  the  knee,  over  which  I  wore  a  jacket  and 
trousers  of  "  duffle  "  (a  kind  of  thin  felt),  and  deerskin 
mocassins  (leather  would  instantly  freeze  the  feet), 
secured  around  the  leg  by  thongs.  Over  this  was  a 
second  pair  of  thicker  deerskin  breeches,  and  a  loose, 
heavy  coat  of  the  same  fur  reaching  to  the  knees,  with 
a  wolverine  hood  almost  entirely  concealing  the  face, 
which,  in  order  to  avoid  frost-bite,  must  always  be 
kept  smeared  with  vaseline  or  some  other  oily  sub- 
stance. Under  this  hood  I  wore  two  close-fitting 
worsted  caps,  and  over  them  a  deerskin  cap  with  ear- 
flaps.  Two  pairs  of  thick  worsted  gloves  and  finger- 
less  bearskin  mits  reaching  to  the  elbow  completed  the 
outfit,  and  I  may  add  that  I  have  often  shivered,  even 
under  this  mountain  of  material,  on  (for  these  regions) 
a  comparatively  warm  day  ! 


TCHUKTCHI   WOMAN   AND    CHILD,   MIDWAY   BETWEEN    KOLYMA    RIVER 
AND   BERING   STRAITS 

(Author's  tent  and  Tchuktchi  walrus-hide  hut  in  background) 


SOME   STRANGE   RACES  161 

Of  the  natives  inhabiting  Kamchatka  and  the  shores 
of  the  Okhotzk  Sea  I  have  no  personal  knowledge, 
although  I  have,  on  two  occasions,  had  to  live  for  weeks 
at  a  time  with  their  northern  neighbours,  the  "  Tchuk- 
tchis,"  and  to  share  a  walrus-hide  hut  with  over  a  score 
of  these  unsavoury  people,  under  conditions  which,  on 
the  first  occasion,  nearly  cost  me  my  life.  Indeed,  had 
I  not  been  rescued  by  a  belated  whaler  in  the  late 
autumn,  when  ice  was  closing  round  the  coast,  severing 
all  communication  until  the  following  summer,  nothing 
could  have  saved  me. 

There  are  in  all  about  12,000  Tchuktchis,  some  of 
whom  inhabit  the  Arctic  coast  from  Tchaun  Bay  to  the 
Bering  Straits,  and  rely  on  the  sea  for  a  living,  while 
others  wander  about  the  mountains  of  the  interior  with 
herds  of  reindeer.  These  natives  are  nominally  Russian 
subjects,  yet  for  two  centuries  they  have  resisted  con- 
quest, and  to  this  day  pay  no  taxes,  nor,  indeed,  have 
they  ever  set  eyes  on  a  Russian  official.1  For,  strange 
as  it  may  seem,  the  Great  White  Tsar  himself  has  less 
influence  here  than  the  skipper  of  the  grimiest  American 
whaler,  so  long  as  the  latter  appears  every  summer 
with  a  plentiful  supply  of  the  vile  concoction  known 
as  whisky,  which  these  natives  receive  in  exchange  for 
whalebone,  walrus  tusks  and  furs.  Indeed,  were  it 
not  for  the  San  Francisco  whalers  the  Tchuktchis  would 
probably  disappear,  in  a  very  short  time,  from  the  face 
of  the  earth. 

I  have,  as  I  have  said,  twice  lived  with  the  Tchuk- 
tchis :  once  in  '98,  when  I  endeavoured  to  reach  Paris 
by  land  from  New  York,  and  failed  to  get  further  than 
Oumwaidjik,  one  of  their  settlements  on  Bering  Straits. 
Here,  when  the  American  revenue  cutter  which  landed 
me  had  sailed  away,  I  was  regarded  as  a  prisoner  by 
the  chief  of  the  place,  who  appropriated  my  belongings 
and  subjected  me  to  such  brutal  treatment  that,  had 

1  "  These  people  for  many  years  resisted  every  attempt  made  by 
the  Russians  either  to  subdue  them  or  to  pass  through  their  country. 
Of  a  force  numbering  two  hundred  armed  men,  who  were  sent  into 
their  territory,  rather  for  the  purpose  of  scientific  exploration  than 
with  any  views  of  conquest,  not  a  soul  returned,  nor  has  their  fate 
been  ascertained." — Professor  Eden. 
M 


162  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

it  not  been  for  my  timely  rescue,  just  before  the  closing 
of  navigation,  I  must  have  perished.  I  therefore 
avoided  Oumwaidjik  on  my  second,  (and  successful), 
journey  from  Paris  to  New  York,  and  lived  at  Whalen, 
a  village  consisting  of  about  300  less  objectionable 
natives  and  thirty  walrus-hide  huts  (eighty  miles  north 
of  Oumwaidjik),  until  a  crossing  of  the  Straits  was 
rendered  practicable.  But  even  at  Whalen  my  position 
was  rather  precarious,  owing  to  the  fact  that,  however 
well  disposed  the  Tchuktchi  may  be  when  sober,  he 
invariably  becomes,  when  drunk,  a  homicidal  maniac.1 
And  my  arrival  on  this  occasion  was  celebrated  by  a 
feast,  at  which  so  much  "  tanglefoot  "  2  was  consumed 
that  by  sunset  every  man  in  the  place  was  intoxicated, 
with  the  exception  of  the  chief,  in  whose  hut  I  con- 
cealed myself  until  the  trouble  was  over.  Nevertheless, 
all  his  companions  were  armed  with  Winchester  rifles, 
and  reeled  throughout  the  night  about  the  settlement, 
firing  ball-cartridge  in  every  direction,  and  vowing 
vengeance  on  the  white  man  whom  a  few  hours  before 
they  had  greeted  with  effusive  hospitality  !  And  the 
next  morning,  when  sober,  every  native  was  again  quite 
friendly ;  but  as  these  entertainments  took  place  about 
twice  a  week  during  my  two  months'  stay,  I  gradually 
realized  that  Whalen,  although  perhaps  less  dangerous 
than  Oumwaidjik,  was  anything  but  a  desirable  residence  ! 
The  village  is  situated  on  a  sandy  beach  at  the  foot 
of  precipitous  cliffs,  and,  as  I  reached  it  late  in  the 
spring,  I  could  not  stir  many  yards  from  the  place 
owing  to  deep  slush  and  melting  snow.  I  therefore 
never  saw  an  inland  Tchuktchi,  but  those  on  the  coast 
seemed  fairly  intelligent  (when  sober),  and  possessed  of 
great  physical  strength,  owing  to  a  life  of  incessant  peril 
and  activity,  in  summer  fighting  furious  gales  in  flimsy 
skin  boats,  in  winter  hunting  walrus  and  seal  in  the 
cold,  dark  silence  of  the  ice.  The  men  wore  a  deerskin 
garment  reaching  a  little  below  the  waist,  and  secured 

1  European  whalemen  are  occasionally  killed  during  these  orgies, 
and  during  the  few  weeks  I  was  here  two  natives  were  shot. — Author's 
note. 

a  A  slang  term  used  by  whaling  men  for  the  cheap  intoxicant  which 
they  sell  to  the  Tchuktchis. 


SOME   STRANGE   RACES  163 

by  a  walrus  thong,  and  hair-seal  breeches  and  moccasins, 
topped  by  a  close-fitting  fur  cap  like  a  baby's  bonnet, 
while  all  carried  an  ugly-looking  knife  in  a  leather 
sheath.  The  women  were  small  in  stature,  and  some 
would  have  been  pretty  but  for  hard,  weather-beaten 
features,  caused  by  exposure  to  all  kinds  of  weather. 
Nearly  all  had  teeth  of  snowy  whiteness,  much  disfigured 
by  the  constant  chewing  of  sealskin  to  render  it  pliable 
for  making  moccasins  and  other  articles.  Only  the 
women  tattooed  their  faces  and  wore  deerskin  "  com- 
binations," trimmed  at  the  neck  and  wrists  with  wol- 
verine, their  hair  being  dressed  in  two  long  plaits  inter- 
twined with  beads,  copper  coins,  and  other  cheap  trinkets 
procured  from  whalemen.  The  garments  of  both  sexes 
were  occasionally  trimmed  with  coloured  fur,  of  bright 
red  or  green,  worked  into  intricate  patterns,  and  I 
wondered  how  they  obtained  the  dye,  until  I  dis- 
covered that  the  green  tint  was  extracted  from  the 
urine  of  dogs,  and  the  red  from  a  rock  some  distance 
away  in  the  interior. 

I  can  safely  say  that  the  Tchuktchis  are.  without 
exception,  the  filthiest  race,  both  in  their  mode  of  life 
and  bodily  habits,  in  creation.  Were  I  to  describe 
one-tenth  of  the  revolting  incidents  which  I  witnessed 
during  my  stay  even  at  Whalen,  (at  Oumwaidjik  it  was 
worse),  the  reader  would  lay  down  this  book  in  disgust. 
I  will  therefore  only  briefly  explain  that  these  people 
wash,  not  in  water,  but  a  certain  emanation  of  the 
human  body,  and  that  their  upper  garments  are  so 
made  that  the  hand  and  arm  can  be  thrust  right  into 
them  to  relieve  the  annoyance  caused  by  vermin.  And 
these  are  the  least  repellent  of  the  sickening  practices 
in  which  I  saw  the  Tchuktchis  habitually  indulge. 

There  is  a  theory  that  the  latter  originally  migrated 
here  from  the  American  continent,  but  this,  I  think,  is 
doubtful,  as,  although  they  are  barely  thirty  miles 
apart,  there  is  no  resemblance  whatever  between  the 
Alaskan  Eskimo  and  his  Siberian  neighbours.  For  even 
natives  of  the  Siberian  settlements  varied  with  regard 
to  language  and  personal  characteristics,  and  although 
at  Whalen  I  was  well  treated,  I  was  warned  not  to  go 
near  East  Cape,  only  four  miles  away,  where  the  natives 


164  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

were  said  to  be  "  dangerous."  Moreover,  the  dialect 
spoken  at  East  Cape  differed  from  that  at  Whalen, 
which  latter  was  again  different  from  that  which  was 
spoken  at  Oumwaidjik. 

The  hut  in  which  I  lived  at  Whalen  was  of  walrus 
hide,  and  measured  about  forty  feet  round  and  fifteen 
feet  high  in  the  centre,  the  only  aperture  being  a  very 
low  doorway.  Dogs  roamed  freely  about  a  large  outer 
chamber  stored  with  hunting  and  fishing  tackle,  and 
which  led  into  a  similar  inner  space  screened  with  deer- 
skins, where  the  inmates  ate  and  slept.  The  darkness 
here  was  dimly  illumined  by  seal-oil  lamps,  which  were 
never  extinguished,  maintaining  night  and  day  a  tem- 
perature of  over  85°  Fahr.  And  the  heat  and  stench 
were  beyond  description,  for  although,  at  night,  men, 
women  and  children  stripped  naked,  the  perspiration 
poured  off  them,  while  the  days  were  even  worse,  for 
then  the  unspeakable  filth  of  the  place  was  more  clearly 
revealed.  The  daily  meal — which,  having  no  pro- 
visions, I  had  to  share — consisted  of  seal-meat,  occa- 
sionally varied  by  stale  goose  eggs  and  fish-roe,  flavoured 
with  seal-oil;  also  a  kind  of  seaweed  found  in  the 
stomach  of  a  dead  walrus.  When  smoking  the  Tchuk- 
tchis  used  a  tiny  brass  Chinese  pipe,  and  did  not  emit, 
but  swallowed  the  smoke,  while  the  cheapest  American 
tobacco  was  so  precious  that  it  was  only  chewed  and 
passed  from  mouth  to  mouth  until  the  flavour  had 
been  completely  extracted.  When  smoked — on  rare 
occasions — it  was  eked  out  with  seal  hairs  ! 

As  the  weather  got  warmer,  life  would  have  been 
more  bearable  had  it  not  been  for  the  drink-feasts, 
which  constantly  recalled  the  unpleasant  affinity  be- 
tween a  barrel  of  whisky  and  bloodshed.  When  I 
arrived  here  most  of  the  fiery  spirit  left  during  the 
previous  summer  by  the  whalers  had  been  consumed, 
but  the  chief  (although  himself  an  abstainer)  had  con- 
trived to  brew  a  special  brand  of  his  own,  which  he 
would  first  retail  to  his  less  temperate  companions,  and 
then  barricade  himself  and  prepare  for  squalls.  This 
beverage  was  even  stronger  than  the  American  "  tangle- 
foot," and  was  made  by  mixing  together  one  part  each 
of  flour  and  molasses  with  four  parts  of  water  and  then 


A    TCHUKTCHI   "  WITCH "    NEAR  TCHAUN   BAY   (N.E.    COAST   OF   SIBERIA) 


SOME   STRANGE   RACES  165 

letting  the  mixture  ferment.  My  host's  distillery  con- 
sisted of  a  coal-oil  tin,  an  old  gun-barrel,  and  a  wooden 
tub,  the  mash  being  placed  in  the  tin,  from  which  the 
gun-barrel,  which  served  as  the  coil,  led  into  the  tub, 
which  was  filled  with  cracked  ice.  A  fire  was  then 
built  under  the  tin,  and  as  steam  rose  from  the  heated 
mess  it  was  condensed  in  the  gun-barrel  by  the  ice  in 
the  tub,  to  drop,  in  the  shape  of  liquor,  through  the 
gun-barrel  into  a  drinking-cup.  It  therefore  took  a 
long  time  to  obtain  even  half  a  pint  of  the  poisonous 
stuff,  which,  however,  made  up  in  strength  what  it 
lacked  in  quantity. 

The  Tchuktchis  must  have  some  sort  of  religion,  for 
they  occasionally  performed  strange  rites,  one  of  which 
was  to  throw  pieces  of  walrus  or  seal  meat  into  the  sea 
to  abate  its  fury,  and  there  were  other  signs  of  their 
belief  in  a  Supreme  Being.  I  also  ascertained  that 
when  a  Tchuktchi's  end  is  easy  and  painless  he  is  con- 
demned to  eternal  torment,  while  a  violent  death 
ensures  eternal  peace.  This  belief  probably  accounts 
for  the  "  Kamitok,"  a  ceremony  practised  only  by 
these  people,  and  which  I  witnessed  at  Oumwaidjik, 
where  an  old  man  was  strangled  with  a  walrus  thong 
because  he  had  become  too  old  to  work.  The  victim, 
oddly  enough,  seemed  to  evince  less  interest  in  his 
impending  execution  than  the  distribution  of  "  tangle- 
foot "  by  which  it  was  preceded,  when  every  one  drank 
to  excess,  only  the  executioner  remaining  sufficiently 
sober  to  give  the  coup  de  grace.  Women,  I  was  told, 
are  never  put  to  death  in  this  manner.1 

I  sometimes  went  seal-hunting  at  Whalen,  but  this 
is  poor  fun  in  very  cold  weather,  when  you  have  to 
watch  a  hole  in  the  ice,  sometimes  for  hours  together, 
before  the  animal's  head  appears;  which,  moreover,  it 
often  fails  to  do  !  But  walrus-hunting  is  glorious  sport, 

1  "  One  of  the  attendants  I  had  with  me  in  the  Kolyma  country 
was  a  man  of  fifty,  and  the  father  and  elder  brothers  had  already 
followed  in  the  way  of  their  ancestors  (by  the  'Kamitok').  Once, 
while  stricken  with  a  violent  fever,  instead  of  taking  the  medicine  that 
I  gave  him,  he  inquired  anxiously  if  I  were  sure  he  would  recover  at 
all,  otherwise  he  felt  bound  to  send  for  his  son  and  ask  for  the  last 
stroke/' — A  Strange  People  of  the  North,  by  Waldemar  Bogoras, 
Harper's  Magazine,  April  1903. 


166  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

involving  a  certain  amount  of  risk,  for  when  one  of 
these  beasts  is  sighted,  and  even  if  it  is  blowing  a 
hurricane,  the  "  baidaras  "  (large  walrus-hide  canoes) 
put  to  sea,  and  it  is  a  race  who  shall  first  reach  the 
monster,  which  is  now  no  longer  dispatched  with  har- 
poons, but  firearms.  The  walrus  I  saw  killed  measured 
ten  feet  long,  and  had  quite  that  girth,  and  must  have 
weighed  over  a  ton,  yet  he  was  reckoned  rather  a  small 
one  ! 

The  Whalen  natives  were  fine  athletes,  and  I  fre- 
quently saw  them  racing,  wrestling,  and  even  boxing 
with  an  old  set  of  gloves  which  they  had  obtained  from 
a  whaler.  The  women  also  had  a  game  which  resembled 
"  tossing  in  a  blanket  "  (a  walrus  hide  being  substituted 
for  the  latter),  and  the  one  who  attained  the  greatest 
height  was  proclaimed  the  winner,  and  kissed  by  the 
chief — a  ceremony  which  here  consists  of  rubbing  noses 
while  murmuring  "  Oo."  Once  there  was  a  "  walrus 
dance  "  in  one  of  the  huts,  when  both  sexes  appeared 
in  a  state  of  nudity,  wearing  only  sealskin  moccasins. 
This  weird  entertainment  was  preceded  by  the  beating 
of  sealskin  drums,  after  which  two  naked  women,  sitting 
astride,  were  carried  in  on  a  long  plank,  upon  which 
they  performed  a  series  of  contortions  somewhat  resem- 
bling the  Dance  du  Venire.  Relays  of  girls  continued 
this  exercise  until  exhausted  by  their  efforts,  when 
flesh  cut  from  the  newly  captured  walrus  was  handed 
round,  to  be  washed  down  with  copious  draughts  of 
"  tanglefoot."  It  was  then  time  to  beat  a  hasty 
retreat  and  conceal  myself  until  the  next  day,  by  which 
time  most  of  the  revellers  had  regained  their  sobriety 
and  composure. 

It  was,  of  course,  an  interesting  experience,  but,  as 
the  reader  may  imagine,  I  was  not  sorry  when,  one 
bright  summer  morning,  the  American  revenue  cutter 
Thetis  anchored  off  Whalen,  and  my  second  enforced 
residence  of  over  a  month  amongst  the  Siberian 
Tchuktchis  was  safely  brought  to  an  end  ! 


CHAPTER  XVI 

KIEFF   AND   LITTLE   RUSSIA AN  EVENING  WITH  A 

NIHILIST 

EUROPEAN  RUSSIA  possesses  almost  as  many  varieties 
of  climate  as  her  gigantic  neighbour,  Siberia,  and  every 
mile  you  go  south,  from  Petrograd  or  Moscow,  the  more 
attractive  the  country  becomes,  especially  to  those 
easily  elated  or  depressed  by  immediate  surroundings. 
For  Northern  Russia  is,  even  in  summer,  a  land  of  grey 
days  and  gloomy  landscapes,  whereas  down  south  blue 
skies  and  brilliant  sunshine,  verdure  and  flowers,  impart 
a  welcome  warmth  and  gaiety  to  both  nature  and 
humanity.  A  native  of  the  Crimea  is,  therefore,  usually 
more  genial  and  attractive  than  an  inhabitant  of,  say, 
Archangel,  just  as  a  Neapolitan's  mental  outlook  is, 
generally,  more  cheerful  than  that  of  a  Swede. 

The  belt  of  rich  black  soil  known  as  the  "  Ukraine  "  1 
(which  extends  across  Russia  from  the  Austrian  frontier 
to  the  Asian  Steppes),  divides  these  two  zones,  and 
Little  Russia's  chief  town  is  Kieff,  which  flourished 
before  even  Moscow  sprang  into  existence  as  a  settlement 
of  log  huts.  The  former  was,  therefore,  the  first  Muscovite 
capital,  and  it  now  enjoys  the  anomalous  distinction 
of  being  not  only  the  most  ancient,  but  also  most  modern 
city  in  the  empire,  with  imposing  stone  buildings  and 
broad,  crowded  thoroughfares,  which  present  a  business- 
like, up-to-date  aspect,  more  suggestive  of  some  pros- 
perous town  in  the  Western  States  of  America  than  a 
holy  place  of  pilgrimage,  to  which  thousands  of  the 
orthodox  faith  annually  resort  for  healing,  fasting  and 
prayer.  There  are,  therefore,  hundreds  of  churches 
here,  besides  monasteries,  convents  and  other  sacred 

1  The  wonderfully  fertile  nature  of  this  soil  is  ascribed  to  the  slow 
decay  of  the  grass,  many  centuries  old,  of  the  steppes. 

167 


168  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

buildings,  which,  however,  are  all  so  scattered  as  to 
attract  little  attention,  and  the  visitor's  first  impression 
of  Kieff  is  that  of  a  commercial,  yet  fashionable,  centre, 
well  provided,  for  those  who  can  afford  them,  with  every 
comfort  and  pleasure  in  life.  Petrograd,  notwithstand- 
ing its  hidden  life  of  extravagance  and  dissipation,  is 
dull  and  commonplace ;  Moscow  is  saddened  by  associa- 
tion with  mediaeval  crime  and  calamities;  but  Kieff 
possesses  all  the  charm  and  few  of  the  disadvantages 
of  other  Russian  towns,  which,  in  the  provinces,  are  so 
exactly  alike,  that  one  is  outwardly  typical  of  them  all. 
There  is  always  a  Governor's  Palace — in  various  stages 
of  splendour  or  decay — any  number  of  churches,  a  dilapi- 
dated and  generally  empty  theatre,  military  barracks,  a 
"  Gostimoi-Dvor  "  and  a  prison,  with  a  space  of  ground 
called  (by  courtesy)  a  public  garden.  Kieff,  however, 
is  not  only  essentially  original,  but  is  also  the  healthiest 
place  in  Russia,  owing  to  the  bracing  air  of  the  steppes, 
and  scrupulous  cleanliness  of  the  city,  which  extends  for 
nearly  ten  miles  along  the  right  bank  of  the  broad, 
swiftly-flowing  Dnieper. 

The  place  contains  about  500,000  inhabitants,  and 
comprises  four  distinct  districts,  which  may  almost  be 
called  separate  towns.  Podol,  the  commercial  quarter, 
skirts  the  river,  and  above  it,  on  a  steep  declivity,  is 
Lipti,  the  residential  quarter,  and  an  enchanting 
spot  in  summer,  with  its  handsome  villas,  embowered 
in  dark,  luxuriant  foliage.  North  of  this  is  Kieff 
proper,  which  contains  the  University  and  Cathedral  of 
Saint-Sophia,  a  building  erected  in  the  eleventh  century, 
but  so  constantly  repaired  and  added  to,  that  it  is  now 
a  huge  and  towering  structure  with  over  a  dozen  large 
golden  domes.  Here  also  are  the  theatres,  best  hotels, 
and  shops,  which  latter  are  quite  as  modern  and  well- 
found  as  those  of  Petrograd  or  Moscow.  Petchersk, 
the  fourth  district,  is  well  worth  seeing,  for  it  is  honey- 
combed with  caves  and  catacombs  which,  in  olden  days, 
were  used  as  places  of  refuge  and  monastic  cells,  and 
where,  during  holy  festivals,  one  can  scarcely  move 
through  the  dense  crowds  of  pilgrims,  of  whom  300,000 
annually  visit  this  ancient  and  revered  monastery.  The 
"  Lavra,"  as  it  is  called,  contains  the  embalmed  remains 


KIEFF   AND   LITTLE   RUSSIA       169 

of  over  a  hundred  saints,  one  being  that  of  a  holy  per- 
sonage who  lived  for  fifteen  years  buried  up  to  his  neck 
in  the  ground,  from  which  his  head  may  still  be  seen 
protruding.  The  latter  is  said  to  sink  a  little  lower  into 
the  soil  every  century,  and  a  monk  gravely  informed  me 
that  the  day  of  judgment  would  simultaneously  occur 
with  its  entire  disappearance  !  The  "  Lavra  "  covers 
an  enormous  extent  of  ground,  and  you  may  wander  for 
days  through  its  interminable  streets,  alleys  and  court- 
yards— in  one  of  which  latter,  beggars  are  always  clustered 
around  the  ever-open  door  of  a  church,  in  the  dim  recesses 
of  which  wax  tapers  shed  their  mellow  light,  through  a 
haze  of  incense,  on  faded  tapestries  and  jewelled  images 
of  saints.  The  citadel  once  stood  near  here,  but  its 
site  is  now  occupied  by  a  modern  arsenal,  whence  there 
is  a  fine  view  of  the  surrounding  country,  while,  at  night, 
a  great  cross  on  the  statue  of  Saint  Vladimir,  is  lit  by 
electricity,  and  shines,  at  night,  over  many  miles  of 
surrounding  country. 

Although  the  cathedral  and  churches  of  Kieff  are  en- 
dowed with  less  wealth  than  those  of  Moscow,  the  former 
contain  many  valuable  pictures  and  works  of  art,  notably 
the  sanctuary  doors  of  the  Ouspensky  Church,  which 
are  of  solid  silver  and  exquisite  workmanship.  Kieff 
is  rightly  described  as  "  Holy,"  for  early  in  the  tenth 
century  Prince  Vladimir  forcibly  converted  its  people 
to  Christianity  by  baptism  in  the  Dnieper,  and  built 
many  of  the  churches  which  the  place  contained  a 
hundred  years  later.  These  were,  however,  pillaged 
and  destroyed  when  the  town  was  seized  by  the  Tartars 
in  the  thirteenth  century,  being  eventually  retaken  from 
them  by  a  Grand  Duke  of  Lithuania,  who,  in  1386, 
added  Kieff  to  the  kingdom  of  Poland.  It  was  not, 
however,  until  1686  that,  after  a  protracted  and  des- 
perate struggle,  the  city  was  finally  ceded  to  Muscovy, 
together  with  the  rich  provinces  of  Little  Russia,  Podolia 
and  Volhynia. 

Pilgrims  of  all  classes  flock  here  at  certain  seasons 
of  the  year  from  all  parts  of  Russia  and  even  Siberia, 
many  suffering  from  incurable  diseases,  for  Kieff  is  as 
renowned  for  its  marvellous  cures  as  Lourdes  in  France. 
Some  people  come  merely  to  pray,  often  for  the  further- 


170  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

ance  of  some  special  object,  and  these  when  wealthy, 
generally  leave  thousands  of  roubles  in  aid  of  charities 
when  they  depart ;  *  while  the  poor  peasant,  who  cannot 
afford  a  ticket  to  the  Holy  Land,  visits  Kieff  instead, 
in  the  firm  belief  that  his  soul  will  derive  as  much 
spiritual  benefit  as  from  the  longer  and  more  expensive 
journey. 

The  exhilarating,  open-air  life  here  reminded  me  of 
Paris,  especially  in  the  spring-time  when  parks  and 
gardens  were  a  mass  of  flowers,  bunches  of  which  were 
sold  in  the  streets  for  as  many  kopecks  as  they  would 
have  cost  roubles  in  Petrograd.  There  were  also  leafy 
boulevards,  where  one  could  sit  in  a  cafe  and  drink 
bock  amongst  men  who  appeared  less  preoccupied  and 
women  who  looked  gayer  and  prettier  than  those  of 
other  Russian  towns,  perhaps  because  of  pure  air  and 
clear  sunshine.  And  the  evenings  were  equally  enjoy- 
able, when  a  theatre  or  music-hall  generally  preceded  a 
stroll  through  the  starlit  streets,  or  supper  al  fresco  in 
some  public  garden,  under  electric  light,  with  a  "tzigane  " 
band  as  an  accompaniment.  These  places  were  always 
amusing,  for  Kieff  is  a  favourite  meeting-place  of  every 
variety  of  the  Russian  race — Poles,  Ruthenians,  Cau- 
casians and  Jews;  while,  before  the  war,  even  wealthy 
Rumanians  were  lured  here,  certainly  less  by  religious 
motives  than  business,  or  some  other  less  serious 
and  profitable  object. 

Yet  this  is  by  no  means  solely  a  city  of  pleasure, 
although  its  industries  are  mostly  agricultural,  and  the 
atmosphere  is  therefore  unpolluted  by  factory  smoke. 
Kieff  s  commercial  prosperity  is  chiefly  due  to  the  culti- 
vation of  beetroot  (for  it  is  the  centre  of  the  sugar 
industry  in  Russia),  and  is  therefore  the  resort,  in  spring- 
time, of  a  host  of  refiners,  who  come  here  to  sign  con- 
tracts with  the  growers,  and  also  enjoy  themselves  en 
gar  con,  or  with  their  wives  and  families.  The  town 
then  becomes  so  crowded  that  hotels  raise  their  prices, 
and  for  about  a  month  there  is  a  ceaseless  round  of 
amusements  and  gaiety. 

It  has  been  suggested,  since  the  outbreak  of  the  war, 

1  One  monastery  alone  is  said  to  have  an  annual  revenue  of  many 
million  roubles. 


KIEFF  AND   LITTLE   RUSSIA       171 

that  Kieff  would  make  an  admirable  capital  from  every 
point  of  view,  and  it  is  within  the  bounds  of  possibility 
that,  when  Russia  annexes  Constantinople  (which  in 
the  ordinary  course  of  events,  she  must  surely  do),  the 
greater  part  of  her  trade  and  industries  will  be  trans- 
ferred to  the  southern  provinces,  thus  relegating  Petro- 
grad  and  Moscow,  commercially  speaking,  to  a  secondary 
position  in  the  Empire.  This,  at  any  rate,  was  the 
opinion  of  an  influential  merchant  whom  I  met  here, 
and  I  quote  it  for  what  it  is  worth.  He  added 
that  such  a  change  would  be  popular,  if  only  because 
this  is  a  purely  Slav  city,  which,  unlike  Petrograd, 
has  never  been  tainted  by  Teutonic  influence  and 
customs. 

Being  desirous  of  seeing  Little  Russia  at  its  best,  I 
drove,  in  summer,  from  here  to  Kharkoff  in  a  "  taran- 
tass,"  a  vehicle  drawn  by  three  horses  yoked  abreast. 
The  middle  one  bears  a  high-arched  wooden  yoke,  or 
"  duga,"  with  jangling  bells,  and  advances  at  a  rapid 
trot,  while  the  horses  on  either  side  gallop,  with  heads 
turned  outwards,  at  such  a  sharp  angle  that  they  fre- 
quently blunder  into  the  ditch,  whence,  however,  they 
generally  quickly  extricate  themselves  without  stopping 
the  team.  But  I  have  noticed  that  Russian  horses  seem 
endowed  with  super-equine  intelligence,  and  when  in  a 
difficulty  never  plunge  and  struggle,  but  lie  absolutely 
motionless  until  help  arrives.  And  they  scarcely  ever 
shy,  this  being  perhaps  due  to  the  fact  that  they  wear  no 
blinkers  and  can  therefore  see  all  that  is  going  on  around 
them. 

I  have  seldom  enjoyed  a  journey  more  than  this  one 
through  the  Ukraine,1  which  is,  in  every  respect,  a  plea- 
sant contrast  to  the  bleak  and  cheerless  northern 
provinces.  Little  Russia  is,  of  course,  the  most  fertile 
region  on  earth,  but  so  are  parts  of  Siberia,  and  I  was 
here  less  impressed  by  the  richness  of  the  soil  and 
prosperity  of  the  peasantry,  than  the  attractive  appear- 
ance not  only  of  the  people  but  also  of  their  villages — now 
no  longer  surrounded  by  dreary  plain  and  pine  forest, 

1  The  name  "  Little  Russia  "  originated  in  the  fourteenth  century 
to  distinguish  this  region  from  "  Greater  Russia,'*  which  lies  to  the 
north.  Russians  generally  call  the  former  the  "  Ukraine." 


172  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW   IT 

but  by  fields  of  golden  corn  and  rich  pastures,  where 
sleek  cattle  browsed  in  the  shade  of  oak  and  chestnut 
trees.  The  houses  were  built,  not  of  wood,  but  plaited 
wicker-work  plastered  with  clay  and  surmounted  by  a 
neatly-thatched  roof,  and  their  walls,  which  were  either 
whitewashed  or  of  a  light  rose  or  green  colour,  were 
in  cheerful  contrast  to  the  sombre,  weather-bleached 
buildings  of  Greater  Russia.  And  yet  the  former  are 
more  cheaply  and  rapidly  erected,  many  portions,  such 
as  the  roof,  window-frames,  door-posts,  etc.,  being  kept 
ready  for  sale  at  the  nearest  "  Gostinnoi-Dvor,"  or 
bazaar.  And  even  the  humblest  dwelling  has  its  care- 
fully tended  garden,  where  the  sunflower  always  pre- 
dominates, for  it  is  cultivated  here  on  account  of  its 
geeds,  which  are  consumed  in  huge  quantities  by  people 
of  all  classes  from  Kieff  to  the  Black  Sea.  And  I  passed 
my  first  night  in  no  grimy  post-house,  but  a  clean,  sweet- 
smelling  cottage,  with  lattice  windows  overlooking  an 
orchard  gay  with  pear  and  apple-blossom;  while  my 
evening  meal  was  served,  not  on  greasy  oil-skin,  but  a 
spotless  linen  tablecloth,  with  (wonderful  to  relate)  no 
crawling  "  Tarakans  "  to  mar  its  snowy  surface.  More- 
over, I  slept  in  soft  sheets,  a  luxury  which  I  had  never 
previously  enjoyed  throughout  many  thousand  miles  of 
travel  in  Russian  rural  districts. 

The  Malo-Russians x  are  largely  interbred  with  the 
Polish  race,  and  it  is  probably  from  the  latter  that  they 
derive  their  love  of  art  and  pleasure  and  a  partiality 
for  cheerful  surroundings.  The  "  Great  "  Russian  is 
generally  careless  and  slovenly  as  to  his  dress,  but  his 
southern  neighbour  loves  bright  colours  and  fantastic 
costumes,  and  devotes  as  much  attention  to  his  personal 
appearance  as  to  his  garden,  which  says  a  great  deal. 
Thus,  on  this  occasion,  my  host's  pretty  wife  (who 
looked  sixteen,  but  had  six  children)  wore  the  picturesque 
national  dress — a  white,  delicately-embroidered  bodice, 
short  grey  shirt  and  turquoise- velvet  "  kakoshnik," 
which  set  off  her  soft  brown  hair,  while  the  owner's 
diminutive  feet  would  certainly  have  aroused  admiration 
in  Bond  Street  or  on  the  boulevards. 

The  moujik  of  the  north  is  bearded  like  the  pard, 
1  Malo-Russia,  "  Little  Russia." 


KlfiFF   AND   LITTLE   RUSSIA       173 

but  men  here,  as  a  rule,  wear  only  a  moustache,  and 
a  century  ago  shaved  even  their  heads  like  the  Tartars, 
leaving  only  a  long  lock  over  the  forehead.  Natives  of 
the  "  Ukraine  "  were,  therefore,  formerly  called  "  Tufts  " 
by  the  "  Greater  Russians,"  the  latter  being  termed 
"  Goats  "  (on  account  of  their  hirsute  appearance),  in 
retaliation!  I  also  noticed  that  the  "  Malo-Russians  " 
are  less  subservient  than  those  of  other  districts,  rarely 
addressing  one  as  "  Beloved  one,"  "  Little  Father," 
"  Sweet  Pigeon,"  and  other  extravagant  terms  which 
are  lavished  on  even  a  humble  stranger  in  other  parts  of 
Russia.  For  the  Malo-Russian  formerly  acknowledged 
but  one  master — the  Tsar,  and  therefore  greeted  every 
one  else,  except  officials  of  the  highest  rank,  simply  as 
"  Barin  "  or  "  Sir." 

I  lingered  on  the  road  for  nearly  a  week  between 
Kieff  and  Kharkoff,  for  this  is  truly  a  land  not  only  of 
music  and  song,  but  "  with  milk  and  honey  blest." 
Everything  grows  in  abundance,  grain  of  all  kinds, 
tobacco,  and  especially  fruit ;  for  the  tiniest  cottage  has 
its  orchard,  the  produce  of  which  is  generally  sent  to 
Kieff,  which  is  justly  famed  for  its  jams  and  preserves. 
And,  from  first  to  last,  I  drove  over  excellent  roads 
through  a  panorama  of  verdant  hills  and  dales,  park- 
like  grazing-lands  and  clear,  rapid  streams,  alternating 
so  frequently  with  stretches  of  dark  forest,  or  belts  of 
lighter  woodland,  as  to  dispel  any  semblance  of  mono- 
tony. And  every  day  we  passed  bands  of  gypsies, 
camping  by  the  wayside,  and  causing  as  much  anxiety, 
with  regard  to  the  security  of  village  poultry-yards,  as 
they  do  in  the  English  shires.  Most  of  these  "  tsi- 
ganes  "  were  Rumanians,  working  as  tinkers,  basket- 
makers,  or  musicians.  And  many  of  the  latter,  who  have 
achieved  fame  in  Parisian  restaurants  and  cafes,  have 
drifted  there  from  Wallachia,  notably  one  wandering 
and  swarthy  artist  who  eventually  married  a  well-known 
Belgian  princess.  It  is  only  fair  to  add  that  here,  as 
elsewhere  in  Europe,  the  gypsies  are  mostly  honest, 
law-abiding  people,  who  are  eyed  with  distrust  chiefly 
by  reason  of  their  wild,  barbaric  appearance. 

The  heat  in  the  day-time  was  rather  oppressive,  but 
sunset  usually  brought  a  cool,  refreshing  breeze  from  the 


174  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

Dnieper.  And  it  was  pleasant,  on  a  still  evening,  to  sit 
out  in  the  gloaming  and  listen  to  the  distant  voices  of 
women  returning  from  the  fields,  as  they  joined  in  some 
sweet,  plaintive  air  of  Little  Russia ;  while,  in  the  village 
street,  men  danced  to  the  twanging  lilt  of  a  "  balalaika," 
or  played  "  landrail,"  a  game  in  which  two  long  lines 
are  attached  to  a  post  driven  into  the  ground.  To 
the  former  are  attached  two  blindfolded  players,  one  of 
whom  has  a  short  club  and  the  other  hand-bell,  which 
he  occasionally  rings  to  indicate  his  position,  the  dis- 
covery of  which  ensures  him  a  sound  drubbing  from  his 
antagonist. 

Dwellers  in  Petrograd  or  Moscow  will  tell  you  that 
the  Malo-Russian  is  lazy  and  deceitful,  and  this  may  be 
partly  true,  but  any  minor  defects  these  people  may 
possess  are  certainly  atoned  for  by  their  attractive 
social  qualities.  On  the  other  hand,  the  toiler  of  the 
Ukraine  is  (unlike  the  northern  moujik)  no  passionate 
lover  of  the  soil,  which  he  regards  merely  as  a  means  of 
maintenance  for  his  family,  with  the  addition  of  a 
certain  amount  of  amusement  for  himself,  and  his 
indolence  is  perhaps  partly  due  to  the  fact  that  the  land 
here  is  so  fertile  that  these  are  easily  obtained.  The 
women,  unlike  the  men,  are  thrifty  and  industrious, 
and,  when  not  working  on  the  land,  are  generally  em- 
ployed in  making  embroideries  (which  have  only  of 
late  years  reached  London  and  Paris)  or  weaving  carpets, 
which,  being  not  only  artistic  but  cheap,  find  their  way 
to  all  parts  of  Russia.  Good  looks  prevail  to  an  unusual 
extent  amongst  the  fair  sex,  who  are  not  renowned  for 
their  virtue,  marital  infidelity  being  of  common  occur- 
rence. Some  writers  ascribe  this  laxity  of  morals  to 
lack  of  religion;  for  both  sexes,  although  nominally  of 
the  orthodox  faith,  evince  so  little  interest  in  spiritual 
matters  that  this  is  about  the  only  district  in  the  Empire 
where  there  are  few,  if  any,  sectarians. 

The  Malo-Russian's  chief  defect  is  lack  of  humour, 
for  his  dreamy,  sensuous  nature  seeks  refined  and  artistic 
pleasures  rather  than  the  insidious  but  sordid  joys  of 
"  vodka  "  and  the  "  traktir."  He  is,  however,  no  fool, 
and  as  shrewd  as  any  one  else  at  driving  a  bargain, 
although  sadly  improvident,  having  for  centuries  past 


A   TCHUKTCHI   GIRL   FEEDING   THE   DOGS 


KIEFF   AND   LITTLE   RUSSIA       175 

made  no  attempt  to  guard  against  the  droughts  which 
occasionally  devastate  this  district,  fortunately  without 
any  permanent  ill-effects.  During  their  continuance, 
however,  Little  Russia  is  anything  but  "  the  blest,"  for 
the  earth  is  then  parched  and  rent  with  enormous  fissures, 
and  not  a  drop  of  water  is  procurable  for  man  or  beast. 
Even  the  Dnieper  is  then  reduced  to  the  dimensions  of 
a  narrow,  sluggish  stream,  and  although  artesian  wells 
and  other  modern  appliances  would  modify  this  evil, 
their  adoption  never  seems  to  have  occurred  to  the 
careless,  self-indulgent  Malo-Russian,  who,  being  a  spoilt 
child  of  nature,  never  realizes  that  the  latter  can  occa- 
sionally become  a  harsh  and  even  cruel  mother.  The 
swarms  of  locusts  which,  at  certain  seasons,  ravage  the 
crops  are  almost  as  destructive,  but  these  are  of  course 
unavoidable,  and  the  same  may  be  said  for  the  spring 
floods,  which  occasionally  lay  waste  large  tracts  of  culti- 
vated land. 

I  have  sometimes  travelled  for  weeks  through  the 
wilds  of  Siberia  without  setting  eyes  on  fur  or  feather ; 
but  the  Ukraine  and  steppes  team  with  animal  life, 
wolves  being  so  numerous  that  nearly  every  dwelling 
is  surrounded  by  a  thick  thorn-hedge,  ten  or  twelve 
feet  in  height,  as  a  protection  at  night-time.  Every 
household  is  also  guarded  by  a  number  of  dogs,  which, 
as  they  occasionally  interbreed  with  the  wolves,  are 
unusually  wild  and  savage.  The  former  are  never  kept 
in-doors,  or  even  fed  by  their  owners,  and  therefore  have 
to  find  their  own  victuals,  often  being  reduced  to  fruit  and 
grapes,  which  I  have  seen  them  devour  with  apparently 
as  much  relish  as  a  piece  of  butcher's  meat.  The  fields 
of  Little  Russia  swarm  with  mice,  which  sometimes  play 
havoc  with  the  crops ;  but  the  most  curious  animal  I 
saw  was  the  "  Suslik,"  which  is  less  common  here  than 
in  the  Asian  Steppes,  or  Mongolian  Desert  of  Gobi,  where 
I  encountered  thousands.  The  "  Suslik,"  which  is 
something  between  a  squirrel  and  a  marmot,  is  very 
hard  to  catch,  but  its  burrow  has  always  two  entrances, 
and  Malo-Russians  secure  the  little  beasts  by  pouring 
water  in  at  one  end,  and  seizing  them  as  they  emerge 
from  the  other;  for  the  fur  is  soft  and  delicate,  and 
fetches  a  good  price  in  Kieff,  where  it  is  used  as  a  lining 


176  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

for  ladies'  evening  cloaks.  There  is  also  any  amount 
of  game  here  in  the  shape  of  sand-grouse,  duck,  teal, 
widgeon  and  snipe,  hares  and  rabbits,  which  (as  elsewhere 
in  Russia)  are  rarely  shot  at  by  local  sportsmen,  and 
therefore  easily  obtainable. 

Summer  here  is  very  enjoyable,  but  the  "  Ukraine  " 
is  at  its  best  in  May ;  when  nature  is  awakening  from  her 
long  winter  sleep,  the  woods  and  meadows  are  ablaze 
with  lilac  and  laburnum,  and  violets,  daffodils  and 
daisies  peep  out  of  the  long  grass,  which  for  months  has 
lain  under  a  heavy  blanket  of  snow.  The  first  two  or 
three  days  of  warmth  and  sunshine  produce  a  rapid  and 
luxuriant  growth  of  trees,  grass  and  flowers  which  is 
elsewhere  unknown,  and  it  is  only  here  that  you  can 
truly  appreciate  the  delights  of  spring-time,  which 
in  other  countries  are  generally  so  overrated.  And, 
later  on  in  the  season,  the  evenings,  when  the  long  grey 
twilight  is  succeeded  by  only  a  few  starlight  hours,  have 
a  charm  all  their  own,  although  the  "  white  nights  " 
of  August,  when  sunset  and  sunrise  are  so  imperceptibly 
merged  that  there  is  no  real  darkness,  can  only  be 
enjoyed  much  farther  north. 

Kharkoff  is  a  university  town  which  entirely  lacks 
natural  beauties  or  archaeological  interest,  for  it  is  a 
comparatively  modern  place  which  only  dates  from  the 
seventeenth  century.  It  is  also  much  behind  the  times, 
especially  with  regard  to  hotels,  and  although  I  expected 
to  find  in  a  place  of  this  size  a  bed  and  washing  appli- 
ances, the  former  had  no  sheets  or  pillows,  and  the  latter 
consisted  of  the  little  brass  tap  let  into  the  wall,  which  I 
had  hitherto  imagined  was  peculiar  to  Siberia.  Kharkoff 
was,  in  short,  so  dull  and  unattractive  that  my  stay 
there  would  have  been  very  brief,  had  I  not  promised 
a  political  exile  to  deliver  a  letter  to  his  brother  who 
resided  in  the  town.  The  writer  of  the  missive  had  just 
served  a  sentence  of  ten  years  in  the  Nertchinsk  silver- 
mines  when  I  met  him,  living  under  police  supervision, 
at  a  village  in  Eastern  Siberia.  His  offence  had  there- 
fore been  a  serious  one,  and  his  younger  brother  (whom 
I  will  call  Serge  Androvitch)  had  heard  nothing  of  the 
exile  since  his  banishment.  Knowing,  however,  by 
experience  that  association  with  even  the  relatives  of  a 


KIEFF  AND   LITTLE   RUSSIA       177 

political  prisoner  in  Russia  is  apt  to  be  dangerous,  I 
waited  until  after  dark  before  calling  upon  Androvitch, 
who  was  employed  as  a  minor  Government  official,  and 
occupied,  in  a  squalid  suburb,  a  small,  poorly-furnished 
flat.  And  its  owner  seemed  fully  prepared  for  my 
arrival,  which,  having  some  knowledge  of  the  secret  and 
rapid  mode  of  communication  between  revolutionaries 
of  all  countries,  scarcely  surprised  me.  I  once  heard 
of  the  suicide  of  an  exile  whom  I  had  met  years  before 
in  Sredni-Kolymsk  *  from  a  friend  of  the  latter  living 
in  Soho,  although  how  the  latter  received  the  news  has 
ever  since  remained  a  mystery. 

Androvitch,  who  greeted  me  cordially,  at  once  gave 
me  to  understand  that  he  was  working  for  "  the 
cause  "  in  conjunction  with  a  young  lady  who  shared 
his  apartment,  and  who  I  therefore  assumed  was  either 
his  wife  or  sister.  But  I  was  then  unacquainted  with 
the  domestic  methods  of  the  Russian  Nihilist,  or  rather 
"  Socialist,"  for  the  former  term  is  never  used  in  revo- 
lutionary circles,  the  members  of  which  prefer  to  style 
themselves  the  "  Intelligentia."  And  I  learnt,  during 
the  course  of  the  evening,  that  there  were  numberless 
secret  societies  in  Russia  varying  from  those  composed 
solely  of  Terrorists  to  others  as  harmless  as  the  "  Prim- 
rose League,"  although  even  the  latter  were  eyed  askance 
by  the  Secret  Police.  Serge,  therefore,  spoke  with 
reverential  awe  of  his  brother,  who  had  belonged  to 
the  former  category,  while  my  host  modestly  owned 
that  he  was  only  a  humble  disciple  in  the  great  scheme  of 
social  regeneration. 

Both  Androvitch  and  his  mysterious  friend  proved 
interesting  companions,  with  whom  I  freely  discussed 
topics  the  mere  mention  of  which  would,  in  any  public 
place,  have  entailed  our  immediate  arrest  and  probably 
severe  punishment.  Kharkoff,  they  told  me,  was  an 
important  base  of  operations,  and  two  or  three  important 
leaders  generally  resided  there,  while  many  of  Serge's 
friends  had  been  exiled  for  political  offences  which 
this  beardless  youth  proceeded  to  defend  and  justify 
with  all  the  assurance  of  an  experienced  man  of  the 
world,  although  the  united  ages  of  the  girl  and  himself 

1  See  chap.  xiii. 

N 


178  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW  IT 

cannot  have  exceeded  forty  years  !  But  I  had  when  in 
Siberia  frequently  noticed  the  juvenile  appearance  of 
most  of  the  exiles.  Men  and  women,  banished  for 
political  crimes,  were  generally  middle-aged  and  even 
elderly;  but  the  majority  looked  like  mere  boys  and 
girls,  more  fitted  for  the  playground  than  a  political 
conspiracy.  For  in  Russia,  mere  children  occasionally 
get  bitten  with  a  mania  to  "go  out  among  the  people," 
or,  in  other  words,  to  disseminate  revolutionary  views 
amongst  the  lower  orders.  And  thousands  of  young 
people  of  the  better  class  are  lured  into  the  Socialistic 
net  by  old  and  experienced  agitators,  who  are  actuated 
solely  by  mercenary  motives,  and  who  themselves 
keep  safely  in  the  background. 

There  is  little  doubt,  however,  that  Russian  youth 
is  more  precocious  than  that  of  any  other  country. 
Mr.  R.  Reynolds,1  for  instance,  mentions  the  case  of 
a  boy  of  fourteen  from  Petrograd,  whom  he  met  at  a 
French  watering-place,  and  who  was  about  to  write  a 
play  dealing  with  the  Paris  of  Louis  XIV.,  the  characters 
of  which  were  all  either  reprobates  or  courtesans.  "  The 
three  of  us  supped "  (writes  Mr.  Reynolds)  "in  a 
restaurant,  and  '  Shura  '  (the  lad  in  question)  laid  down 
the  law  on  politics,  religion  and  the  problems  of  life 
with  amazing  assurance.  He  told  us  he  was  not  called 
upon  to  take  an  active  part  in  politics,  but  that  he  should, 
when  invited  to  do  so,  '  support  the  Socialists.'  .  .  . 
'  But,  you  see,'  he  explained,  '  life  holds  only  three 
things  worth  troubling  about :  Eating,  drinking  and 
making  love  to  pretty  women  !  ' 

"  This  engaging  youth  then  departed,  remarking  that 
his  father  would  be  annoyed  if  he  stayed  out  later  than 
2  a.m.  He  also  informed  us  that,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
five,  he  intended  to  shoot  himself,  as  life  after  that  would 
not  be  worth  living  !  " 

The  same  author  relates  that  a  deputation  of  school- 
children once  visited  the  Petrograd  Rus,  a  liberal  paper, 
and  requested  the  editor  to  publish  their  views  on  social 
reform — one  of  their  suggestions  being  the  substitution 
of  "  free  love  "  for  the  marriage  ceremony  ! 

Serge  Androvitch  belonged  to  a  type  of  youth  of  whom 
1  My  Russian  Year,  by  R.  Reynolds. 


KIEFF  AND   LITTLE   RUSSIA       179 

I  had  met  many  in  Siberia,  and  whose  conversation  was 
freely  interlarded  with  revolutionary  jargon,  yet  who, 
when  invited  to  explain  the  practical  aim  and  working 
of  their  secret  mission  in  life,  seemed  to  have  the  vaguest 
ideas  as  to  how  mankind  was  to  be  socially  improved 
and  regenerated.  Thus  Serge's  views  on  the  freedom  of 
the  people,  liberty  of  the  press,  restriction  of  education 
and  so  forth,  were  expressed  in  a  parrot-like  manner 
which  seemed  to  indicate  that  he  was  merely  echoing 
phrases  expressed  by  fluent  orators  at  some  revolutionary 
meeting;  for  when  my  young  friend  became  natural 
his  remarks  were  devoid  of  all  originality,  clearness,  or 
depth  of  thought.  But  a  fairly  long  and  varied  experi- 
ence has  shown  me  that  Socialism,  in  Russia,  is  in  many 
cases  taken  up  by  young  and  impulsive  people  as  a 
fad,  rendered  irresistibly  attractive  by  reason  of  its 
atmosphere  of  romance,  personal  risk,  and  especially 
the  chance  of  notoriety,  which  always  appeals  to  the 
vain  and  immature  mind,  and  which  is  probably  re- 
sponsible for  the  crimes  of  violence  which  here  invariably 
follow  the  assassination  (or  execution  as  it  is  called) 
of  some  distinguished  personage. 

The  revolutionary  youth  of  both  sexes  in  Russia  are 
easily  recognized,  for  the  men  affect  an  eccentric  style 
of  dress,  wear  their  hair  very  long,  and  are  rather  chary 
of  soap  and  water;  while  even  young  and  attractive 
women  cut  off  their  luxuriant  tresses  and  display  an 
utter  indifference  as  to  their  personal  appearance.  Serge 
had,  on  this  occasion,  discarded  his  official  uniform  for  a 
shabby  velveteen  jacket  and  flowing  red  tie ;  while  the 
girl's  ill-fitting,  rusty  black  gown  and  closely-cropped 
head  detracted  from  what  would  otherwise  have  been  a 
comely  face  and  slim,  graceful  figure.  Liouba  had,  it 
appeared,  only  met  Serge  a  few  weeks  previously,  and 
I  was  assured  by  the  latter,  without  a  trace  of  embarrass- 
ment, that  their  relations  were  purely  platonic.  And 
this  was  probably  true,  for  in  the  revolutionary  world 
a  couple  often  elect  to  live  together  under  conditions 
entirely  dissociated  with  anything  approaching  love  or 
sensuality.  Young  people  of  this  category  regard  them- 
selves and  are  regarded  merely  as  sexless  fellow- workers, 
in  whose  relations  the  heart  and  emotions  play  no  part, 


180  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW  IT 

and  as  most  of  the  women  of  this  class,  with  whom  I 
have  come  in  contact,  have  been  what  Americans  call 
"  homely,"  this  fact  is  perhaps  less  strange  than  it  might 
otherwise  appear.  Moreover,  in  Russia,  a  man's  con- 
stant association  with  a  woman  of  his  acquaintance  in 
any  class  of  life,  even  if  she  be  married  and  beautiful, 
creates  no  scandal,  as  it  would  in  other  countries,  for 
the  bond  between  them  may,  and  frequently  does,  arise 
from  a  purely  intellectual  affinity.  And  so  it  is  when 
students  of  opposite  sex,  living  in  a  university  town, 
agree  to  live  together,  for  the  simple  reason  that  mutual 
interests  and  objects  in  life  have  brought  them  together 
as  intimate  friends,  and  nothing  more.  And  this  was  the 
case  with  my  host  and  his  companion,  who  was  a  medical 
student  at  Kharkoff  University.  And  the  latter  herself 
informed  me  that  it  was  customary  for  girls  who  "  go 
out  among  the  people,"  to  choose  a  male  partner  to- 
wards whom  they  were  absolutely  cold  and  indifferent 
from  a  sexual  point  of  view,  but  whom  they  thought 
might  prove  useful  as  a  collaborator  in  the  difficult  and 
dangerous  task  which  they  had  sworn  to  perform. 
Occasionally,  she  added,  but  very  rarely,  they  married 
in  the  end,  but  that  otherwise,  if  the  man  attempted  to 
overstep  the  pi  atonic  barrier,  separation  was  almost 
invariably  the  immediate  result. 

My  experience  of  these  loveless  and  sterile  unions  was 
limited  to  Kharkoff ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  I  could  quote 
many  instances  of  almost  sublime  self-sacrifice  on  the  part 
of  revolutionary  women  whose  male  "  comrades  "  have 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  police.  Official  statistics 
show  that  hundreds  of  them  annually,  and  of  their 
own  free  will,  accompany  not  only  their  husbands,  but 
lovers,  to  Siberia;  a  notable  instance,  in  the  latter 
case,  being  that  of  Baroness  Rehbinder,  who  followed 
Dr.  Weimar  (the  Empress-Dowager's  physician)  to  the 
life-long  banishment  which  he  had  to  endure  for  the 
attempted  assassination  of  a  court  official. 

Androvitch  seemed  less  interested  in  his  brother's 
health  and  welfare  than  the  condition  of  the  Siberian 
peasantry,  amongst  whom,  as  he  was  compelled  to  admit, 
the  "  propaganda  "  had  fallen  on  very  barren  ground. 
The  moujik,  he  declared,  was  an  ungrateful  mortal,  who, 


KIEFF  AND   LITTLE   RUSSIA       181 

notwithstanding  all  that  had  been  done  to  ensure  his 
freedom,  had  never  evinced  the  slightest  gratitude 
towards  his  would-be  benefactors.  My  host  related  an 
incident  in  proof  of  this  fact,  and  described  how  two 
peasants  attended  the  execution  of  a  famous  Socialist 
leader,  from  whom  the  former  had  received  many  kind- 
nesses and  favours.  "  He  is  to  be  hanged  to-morrow 
morning,"  said  one;  "let  us  go  to  the  execution." 
"  Why,"  said  the  other,  "  you  don't  want  to  see  the 
poor  devil  suffer?"  "Oh!  no,"  was  the  rejoinder; 
"  but  we  might  get  a  bit  of  the  rope,  and  it  brings  good 
luck  !  "  "  Is  it  worth  our  while,"  added  Serge,  "  to 
endure  imprisonment  and  exile,  and  even  risk  death, 
for  such  thankless  dogs  as  these?  "  And  my  obvious 
but  unspoken,  reply  was,  "  Then,  why  do  it  ?  " 

I  may  here  mention  that  I  have  never,  even  in  Siberia, 
heard  political  exiles  of  either  sex  display  personal 
animosity  towards  the  Emperor  or  any  member  of  the 
Imperial  Family,  their  enmity  being  chiefly  directed 
against  the  system  of  government  of  which  their 
Majesties  form  the  figurehead.  The  "  Tchin "  or 
"  Bureaucracy  "  seemed  to  be  the  object  of  their  special 
detestation,  and  next  to  it  the  priesthood,  many  members 
of  both  these  professions  having  during  the  past  few 
years  been  "  removed  "  to  the  next  world  by  violent 
means.  Serge,  however,  informed  me  that  the  Terror- 
ists in  favour  of  assassination  were  now  few  in  number 
and  gradually  dying  out.  It  had,  he  said,  been  realized 
that  political  crime  and  bloodshed  only  impeded  the 
cause  of  reform,  and  he  added  that  the  murders  of  the 
Grand  Duke  Serge,  Trepoff,  Stolypin  and  others  had  been 
strongly  condemned  by  the  more  influential  leaders  of 
his  party. 

Neither  Androvitch  nor  his  pretty  little  friend  pro- 
fessed the  "  orthodox  "  or  any  other  faith,  for  in  nine 
cases  out  of  ten  the  Russian  Socialist  is  also  an  atheist. 
Liouba  was  a  delicate,  frail -looking  creature,  with  pale 
pathetic  features  and  wonderful  dark  eyes,  which  flashed 
with  indignation  when  she  informed  me  that,  only 
the  week  before,  a  young  student  and  his  girl-friend 
had  been  sold  by  a  "  comrade  "  and  lodged  in  the  city 
gaol.  The  girl  declared,  however,  that  the  possibility 


182  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW  IT 

of  such  a  fate  did  not  worry  her  in  the  least,  or 
even  the  fear  of  death  itself,  provided  she  were  not 
incarcerated  in  the  fortress  of  Schliisselburg,  the  most 
dreaded  place  of  confinement  in  Russia ;  for  those  con- 
signed there  are  lost  for  ever  to  the  outer  world.1  But 
Liouba's  equanimity  with  regard  to  an  enforced  residence 
in  the  generally  dreaded  land  of  exile  was,  perhaps, 
inspired  by  a  letter  which  she  had  just  received  from  a 
friend  who  had  been  deported  to  a  town  in  the  province 
of  Yakutsk,  and  which  I  was  permitted  to  read. 

"  Doushka,"2  it  ran,  "  do  not  fret  about  me,  for  I  was 
never  happier  in  my  life.  It  is  rather  dull  here,  of 
course,  after  Kieff ;  but  exile  has  at  any  rate  released  me 
from  a  husband  who  has,  for  some  time  past,  bored  me 
to  extinction  with  his  intolerable  jealousy  and  stinginess. 
Here,  however,  I  have  found  some  old  friends,  and 
received  nothing  but  kindness  from  even  new  acquaint- 
ances, and,  although  the  days  are  rather  dreary,  our 
evenings  are  enlivened  by  music,  dancing  and  theatricals. 
I  never  knew  what  domestic  freedom  really  meant  until 
I  came  here  !  " 

Toward  midnight  I  rose  to  depart,  but  my  companions 
insisted  on  my  first  sharing  their  frugal  supper,  for 
Russian  revolutionaries  have  apparently  the  same  par- 
tiality for  late  hours  as  their  more  lawful  compatriots. 
And  as  Androvitch  prepared  the  meal,  Liouba  pro- 
duced a  "  balalaika  "  and  in  a  clear,  sympathetic  voice 
sang  a  melody  well  known  on  the  Volga  river,  near  which 
she  had  passed  her  childhood.  But  the  singer,  was  con- 
tinually interrupted  by  Serge,  who,  even  while  laying  the 
table,  continued  to  execrate  the  evils  of  autocracy  and 
tyranny  of  kings.  "  We  want  a  wider  horizon,"  he  kept 
repeating.  "  We  are  now  deaf  and  dumb  !  We  must 
have  education  for  the  people,  and  absolute  freedom  for 
all  !  "  And  I  could  almost  hear  the  wild-eyed,  dishevelled 
orator  who  had  not  only  instilled  my  hospitable 
friend  with  his  seditious  principles,  but  taught  him  the 

1  This,  by  the  way,  is  the  only  Russian  prison  which  I  was  not 
authorized  to  visit,  although  it  was  described  to  me  at  Sredni-Kolymsk 
by  Madame  Akimova,  who  had  awaited  trial  for  four  months  within 
its  gloomy  walls. 

2  Darling. 


KIEFF   AND   LITTLE   RUSSIA       183 

appropriate  gestures  wherewith  to  express  them.  For 
Serge,  as  an  original  exponent  of  Socialistic  doctrines, 
was  a  dismal  failure. 

The  life  of  a  Russian  Revolutionary,  of  whatever  class, 
must  be  one  of  perpetual  anxiety,  and  his  incessant 
dread  of  the  police  was  indicated,  on  this  occasion,  by  a 
trivial  incident  which  occurred  soon  after  we  sat  down  to 
supper.  While  Serge  was  relating,  in  a  loud  and  excited 
tone,  certain  facts  concerning  the  assassination  of  M. 
Stotypin,  there  came  a  resounding  knock  at  the  door, 
which  startled  me  almost  as  much  as  my  host,  for  I 
knew  the  unpleasant  consequences  which  might  follow 
my  rather  imprudent  visit.  Nor  was  I  reassured  by  the 
nervous  agitation  displayed  by  my  companions,  who  sat 
staring  blankly  at  each  other,  evidently  in  expectation 
of  the  dreaded  command  to  "  open  in  the  name  of  the 
Tsar."  It  was,  therefore,  with  much  relief  that  I  saw 
my  host's  pale  and  anxious  face  relapse  into  a  sickly 
smile  at  the  sound  of  a  familiar  voice,  and  the  next 
moment  the  door  was  unbarred  to  admit  an  intimate 
friend  and  student  at  the  University.  The  newcomer 
was,  it  appeared,  also  a  "  comrade,"  who,  while  Liouba 
brewed  fresh  tea,  entertained  us  with  the  account  of 
an  apparently  fruitless  mission  from  which  he  had  just 
returned  in  the  service  of  "  the  cause."  Needless  to  say 
my  farewell  was  indefinitely  postponed  by  the  new 
arrival,  and  it  was  only  by  the  grey  light  of  dawn  that, 
just  before  parting,  we  solemnly  arose,  and  stood  round 
the  table  to  sing,  almost  in  a  whisper,  a  pathetic  melody 
in  minor,  which,  although  strictly  prohibited  in  European 
Russia,  is  sung  without  hindrance  by  the  political  exiles 
in  Siberia.1 

But  everything  in  this  chapter  pertaining  to  the 
revolutionary  movement  should  be  written  in  the  past 
tense,  for  anarchy,  in  Russia,  is  now  as  dead  as  the 
proverbial  doornail,  and  Serge  Androvitch  is  fighting 
bravely  for  the  National  Cause,  instead  of  the  Empire, 
which  he  once  so  ardently  desired  to  overthrow. 

1  This  prison-song  has  been  translated  and  published  by  the  author, 
and  may  be  obtained  at  Messrs.  Weekes  &  Co.,  Music  Publishers, 
Hanover  Square,  W. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE    CRIMEA THE    INTERIOR 

"  IF  that  place  belonged  to  us,"  observed  an  American 
tourist,  as  one  bright  summer's  day  we  neared,  from 
seaward,  the  harbour  of  Sevastopol ;  "  I  guess  we  would 
make  it  the  beauty-spot  of  Europe  !  "  "  But,"  I  re- 
plied, "  the  Crimea  is  that  already,"  while  sorely  in- 
clined to  add  that  its  natural  beauties  would  scarcely 
be  enhanced  by  transatlantic  turmoil,  mammoth 
hotels,  and  surging  crowds.  For  there  scarcely  exists, 
throughout  the  world,  a  more  enchanting  spot  than 
this,  which  in  England  is  generally  less  associated  with 
a  perfect  climate  and  exquisite  scenery  than  with  the 
protracted  but  futile  campaign  which,  half  a  century 
ago,  laid  waste  its  fertile  provinces  and  fair  white 
towns.  "  An  emerald  in  a  sea  of  sapphire  !  "  exclaimed 
my  companion ;  and  the  simile  was  really  not  exagger- 
ated when,  on  that  occasion,  I  first  beheld  the  lovely 
shores  of  Taurida,  glittering  in  the  sunshine  under  a 
sky  of  cloudless  blue. 

No  Russian  need  seek  the  French  Riviera  in  winter, 
for  he  can  always  here  find  a  nest  of  warmth  and  flowers, 
protected  from  the  bleak  north  wind  by  the  precipitous 
chain  of  mountains  which  screen  the  southern  coast  of 
the  peninsula,  which,  by  the  way,  is  about  the  size  of 
Sicily. 

The  Crimea  is  always  delightful,  but  I  prefer  it  in 
winter,  for  in  summer  the  heat  is  often  oppressive, 
and  I  have  known  it  94°,  (and  even  more),  in  the  shade 
in  August,  although  the  nights  were  generally  cool. 
Only  October  and  November  are  damp  and  unhealthy, 
especially  on  the  north-eastern  coast,  where  chilly  mists 
roll  in  from  the  "  Putrid  Sea,"  a  shallow  lagoon  formed 
by  a  long  sand  spit  in  the  Sea  of  Azov.  Fever  and  ague 

184 


THE   CRIMEA— THE   INTERIOR     185 

are  then  prevalent,  also  rheumatic  complaints,  for  which 
latter  nature  has  provided  a  cheap  remedy  in  the  shape 
of  the  black  mud  which  bubbles  from  a  number  of 
miniature  volcanoes  near  the  town  of  Kertch — and 
which  apparently  possesses  wonderful  curative  powers. 
A  Scotch  merchant  at  Rostov-on-the-Don  told  me  that 
he  had  vainly  tried  every  imaginable  remedy  in  England 
for  neuritis,  but  had  been  instantly  cured  by  the  mud- 
baths  of  Kertch,  the  marvellous  properties  of  which 
were  known  even  to  the  Scythians  who  inhabited  the 
Tauric  peninsula  x  many  years  before  Christ. 

Kertch  is  a  dull  and  dismal  town,  although  its  situa- 
tion at  the  narrow  inlet  to  the  Sea  of  Azov  invests 
it  with  considerable  commercial  importance.  Nothing 
now  remains  of  the  old  Tartar  stronghold  which  has 
been  converted  into  a  modern  and  malodorous  seaport, 
where,  since  the  Crimean  War,  vast  sums  of  money 
have  been  expended  on  the  erection  of  fortifications 
which  would  stand  no  earthly  chance  against  modern 
engines  of  destruction.  On  the  day  of  my  arrival  a 
driving  mist  obscured  the  town,  the  narrow  streets 
of  which  resembled  rivers  after  a  week  of  incessant 
rain,  so  having  landed  from  the  grimy  little  British 
collier  which  had  brought  me  from  Taganrog,  I  straight- 
way hired  a  carriage  to  convey  me  to  Sevastopol,  (with 
the  accent  on  the  penultimate),  by  way  of  Yalta,  and 
the  loveliest  stretch  of  coast-line  in  the  world.  Kertch 
certainly  contained  an  "  hotel,"  but  one  of  such  appall- 
ing aspect  that  I  preferred  to  return  to  the  Tynemouth, 
and  share  a  greasy  steak  and  onions  with  her  burly 
skipper,  before  setting  out,  later  in  the  day,  for 
Theodosia. 

There  is  a  railway  to  the  latter  place  from  Kertch, 
but  the  line  was  now  blocked,  by  an  accident  to  a 
bridge,  for  a  couple  of  days.  Nevertheless,  had  I  for 
a  moment  anticipated  the  discomfort  of  that  two 
days'  drive  to  Theodosia,  I  should  certainly  have 
awaited  a  resumption  of  traffic,  or  proceeded  there  on 
board  the  little  Tynemouth,  although  the  sea  journey 

1  The  Russian  name  "  Taurida  "  is  derived  from  this,  the  Crimea 
having  only  been  ceded  to  Russia  by  the  Porte  in  1784.  "  Grim  M  or 
Crimea  is  a  Tartar  name. 


186  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW  IT 

was,  the  skipper  averred,  as  unpleasant  owing  to  fog 
and  heavy  weather  as  the  one  by  post-road.  Indeed, 
his  summary  of  the  situation  coincided  with  that  of 
the  nigger  when  consulted  on  a  choice  of  routes :  "  Which- 
ever road  you  travels,  I  guess  you'll  be  d — d  sorry  you 
did  not  take  the  other  !  " 

Yet  even  the  Tynemouth's  stuffy  saloon  combined 
with  dryness,  warmth  and  food,  would  have  been 
infinitely  preferable  to  those  interminable  hours  of 
wet,  cold  and  hunger,  through  a  country  so  shrouded 
in  mist  that  we  had  to  grope  our  way  for  quite  a  third 
of  the  journey.  I  could  only  procure  a  "  telega,"  or 
country  cart,  where  I  reposed  upon  dirty  straw,  while 
although  the  vehicle  was  provided  with  a  hood,  the 
latter  was  so  dilapidated  that  the  rain  poured  through 
it  like  a  sieve,  until  night  fell,  and  the  "  troika  "  was 
as  often  in  the  ditch  as  out  of  it.  Once  we  were  hope- 
lessly lost  for  over  an  hour  in  the  darkness,  owing  to 
the  stupidity  of  my  squat  Tartar  driver,  whom  I  could 
not  even  curse  with  any  sense  of  satisfaction,  for  he 
only  spoke  his  own  language.  Fortunately  I  possessed 
a  large  scale-map,  and  eventually  by  the  aid  of  this 
and  a  horn  lantern  we  managed  to  stumble,  like  drowned 
rats,  into  a  squalid  hovel,  where  I  gathered,  by  signs, 
that  I  must  pass  the  night.  It  was  now  midnight,  and 
we  had  been  on  the  road  ten  hours,  having  covered  in 
that  time  under  twenty-five  miles  ! 

The  "  post-house  "  at  Argin  contained  two  rooms, 
or  rather  dens,  the  filth  of  which  I  have  seldom  seen 
equalled  in  a  human  habitation.  One  was  occupied  by 
an  aged  and  unsavoury  Tartar  and  his  equally  repul- 
sive wife,  the  other  was  for  the  use  of  guests ;  and  here 
I  waited  in  the  cold  and  darkness  until  a  tallow  dip  was 
brought  in  to  reveal  the  hideous  squalor  of  the  place, 
which  contained  only  a  narrow  divan,  evidently  in- 
tended as  a  sleeping-place,  although  legions  of  vermin 
scurried  gaily  over  its  now  threadbare  and  discoloured 
surface.  A  broken  window  was  stuffed  with  bits  of 
rag,  and  the  open  hearth  contained  only  a  little  heap 
of  cold,  grey  ashes.  My  heart  sank  as,  soaked  and 
shivering,  I  surveyed  those  once  whitewashed  walls, 
now  glistening  with  filth  and  damp,  while  the  rustle, 


TCHUKTCHI   BOYS   AT   EAST   CAFE   (BERING   STRAITS) 


THE   CRIMEA— THE   INTERIOR      187 

outside,  of  ever-falling  rain  was  accompanied,  indoors, 
by  the  monotonous  drip,  drip  of  water  as  it  soaked 
here  and  there  through  the  rickety  roof.  But,  any- 
way, here  I  had  to  remain  until  daylight,  inhaling  an 
overpowering  stench  of  sewage  from  an  open  cesspool 
just  beneath  the  window,  which  suggested  the  possi- 
bility of  typhoid  as  a  climax  to  this  charming  journey. 
How  I  survived  it  without  at  least  contracting  pneu- 
monia remains  a  mystery,  for  the  rain  having  soaked 
through  my  portmanteau,  I  was  practically  wet  through 
for  forty-eight  hours.  There  was  no  food  of  any  kind 
at  Argin,  but  fortunately  plenty  of  fuel ;  and  I  sat  before 
blazing  pine -logs  until  dawn,  sharing  my  only  tin  of 
sardines  and  some  biscuits  with  my  Tartar  driver, 
whom  I  had  not  the  heart  to  send  in  such  weather  to 
the  stables.  And,  late  the  next  night,  I  reached  my 
destination,  after  just  such  a  day  as  the  previous  one, 
although  on  this  occasion  monotony  was  dispelled  by 
an  upset  caused  by  the  breaking  of  an  axle,  luckily 
within  reach  of  a  village  and  forge.  So  much  for  the 
journey  by  post-road  from  Kertch  to  Theodosia,  which 
I  have  described  at  some  length  in  order  that  others 
may  profit  by  my  inexperience,  and,  if  placed  in  similar 
circumstances,  travel  by  rail  or  sea  ! 

I  contrived  at  Theodosia  to  procure  a  more  com- 
fortable carriage  and  better  team,  also  a  Russian 
"  yemstchik."  And  now  I  could  afford  to  linger  amidst 
such  pleasant  surroundings — for  from  here  on  to 
Sevastopol  the  journey  was  so  enjoyable  that  I  was 
able  to  recall  its  initial  stages  with  much  the  same 
feelings  as  a  man  who  awakens  from  nightmare  in  a 
comfortable  bedroom. 

The  scenery  on  leaving  Theodosia  was  rather  mono- 
tonous, for  most  of  the  Crimea  north  of  the  littoral 
range  of  mountains  is  composed  of  steppes  resembling 
those  of  the  mainland.  In  these  northern  districts 
Tartars  are  chiefly  met  with  who  differ  essentially  from 
those  inhabiting  the  southern  coast,  the  former  being 
rough,  but  kindly,  people,  of  the  Mongolian  type, 
mainly  employed  in  the  breeding  of  horses,  sheep  and 
cattle,  while  those  on  the  littoral,  having  in  other  days 
freely  interbred  with  the  Greeks  and  Genoese,  are  more 


188  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

refined  in  appearance  and  manner,  and  also  more  in- 
dolent— probably  by  reason  of  a  more  sunny  and 
enervating  climate.  Personally  I  preferred  the  Tartar 
of  the  plains,  who,  though  rude  and  uncouth,  was 
much  franker  in  his  dealings  and  more  generous  than 
those  I  afterwards  met  on  the  coast,  where  even  any 
small  attention  had  generally  to  be  paid  for.  In  the 
north,  on  the  other  hand,  I  was  more  than  once  the 
guest  of  Tartars  who  refused  payment  of  any  kind, 
but  this  never  once  occurred  on  the  shores  of  the  Black 
Sea. 

So  leisurely  was  Ivan's  rate  of  progression  that  we 
took  three  days  to  reach  Karasou-Bazar,  sleeping  en 
route  in  tiny  Tartar  villages,  which  were  few  and  far 
between,  for  the  country  here  is  very  sparsely  culti- 
vated. Yet  we  constantly  passed  ruins,  tombs,  tumuli 
and  other  indications  that,  thousands  of  years  ago, 
this  must  have  been  a  thickly  populated  region,  with 
thriving  cities  and  towns.  It  was  now  late  in  the 
summer,  and  the  beneficial  effect  of  the  rains,  which 
every  spring  render  the  land  green  and  fertile,  had 
worn  away,  and  one  gazed  on  every  side  on  a  parched 
and  arid  waste,  the  Northern  Crimea  being  cursed  with 
a  lack  of  water,  which,  however,  abounds  on  the  coast. 
For  although  the  peninsula  has  numerous  rivers,  these 
become  in  dry  weather  insignificant  streams,  or  even 
rivulets,  and  there  is  no  attempt  at  irrigation  save  by 
means  of  shallow  pits  dug  by  the  Tartars  and  called 
"  auts,"  which  are  practically  useless.  And  yet, 
centuries  ago,  the  Tauric  peninsula  exported  huge 
quantities  of  corn  to  Greece  and  other  countries,  while 
now  the  Crimea  has  to  depend  chiefly  upon  Russia  and 
Siberia  for  her  supply  of  grain. 

On  nearing  Karasou-Bazar  I  passed  what  appeared 
to  be  a  mass  of  modern  fortifications,  erected  on  the 
summit  of  a  hill  of  considerable  height,  but  on  closer 
approach  found,  to  my  surprise,  that  the  place  merely 
consisted  of  chalk  cliffs  which  had  been  fashioned  by 
nature  into  the  almost  perfect  semblance  of  a  fortress. 
Karasou-Bazar  was,  after  the  Muscovite  annexation, 
assigned  by  Catherine  II.  to  the  exclusive  occupation 
of  the  Tartars,  so  that  even  to-day  everything  about 


THE   CRIMEA— THE  INTERIOR      189 

the  place,  from  mosques  and  minarets  to  pariah  dogs, 
savours  of  the  Orient,  and  there  is  a  general  impression 
of  hoarded  wealth  and  open  squalor  about  its  dark, 
narrow  streets,  permeated  with  a  typical  Eastern  odour 
of  coarse  perfume,  roasting  meat,  wood-smoke  and 
sewage.  I  had  to  leave  the  carriage  outside  the  town 
and  proceed  on  foot  through  narrow,  tortuous  streets, 
with  raised  and  narrow  footpaths,  and  huge  stepping- 
stones  placed  at  intervals,  to  afford  a  crossing  when, 
during  the  heavy  spring-rains,  these  malodorous  alleys 
become  foaming  torrents.  And  I  wandered  for  perhaps 
an  hour  through  endless  avenues  of  low,  flat-roofed 
mud  houses  with  windowless  walls,  with  here  and  there 
an  open  gateway  disclosing  a  small  courtyard  with  its 
patch  of  verdure,  shrubs  and  flowers,  and  generally  a 
marble  fountain  plashing  in  their  midst.  But  it  was 
impossible  to  linger  anywhere  for  long,  for  beggars,  of 
both  sexes,  and  loathsome  exterior,  swarmed  around 
me  in  such  crowds,  that  more  than  once  I  had  to  threaten 
them  with  a  stick  to  escape  from  their  clutches. 

There  was,  of  course,  no  inn  of  any  kind,  and  a 
glimpse  of  the  native  "  caravanserai  "  was  so  unin- 
viting that  I  decided  to  lodge  with  a  Tartar  friend  of 
Ivan's — a  tobacco  merchant,  who,  with  no  thought  of 
remuneration,  entertained  me  in  a  clean  and  com- 
fortable dwelling,  which  after  my  previous  experience 
of  native  households  came  as  an  agreeable  surprise. 
For  it  contained  several  rooms  almost  luxuriously 
furnished  in  Tartar  fashion  with  soft  and  capacious 
red-velvet  divans,  walls  hung  with  costly  embroideries 
and  Caucasian  armour,  and  cool  red  tiles  strewn  with 
bearskins  and  small  but  exquisite  rugs  from  Bokhara. 
There  were,  of  course,  neither  tables  nor  chairs,  so  I 
had  to  sit  on  the  floor  while  discussing  my  first  decent 
meal  a  la  Tartare,  which  commenced  with  onion  soup, 
followed  by  trout,  in  rich  yellow  sauce,  roast  lamb, 
skewered  "  kababs,"  fried  in  grease,  vegetable  marrow 
stuffed  with  savoury  herbs,  and  a  variety  of  highly 
coloured,  unwholesome  cakes  and  sweetmeats.  Crimean 
wine  accompanied  the  repast,  which  concluded  with 
"  Beckmess,"  a  syrup  of  sweet  and  sickly  flavour  made 
of  fermented  apples.  Coffee,  "  narghilehs  "  and  cigar- 


190  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

ettes  were  then  handed  round,  before  I  sought  my 
couch,  where,  it  is  perhaps  needless  to  add,  my  slumbers 
were  somewhat  disturbed  ! 

Grim-Tartars  appear  to  regard  appropriate  hours  for 
meals  and  repose  with  the  same  indifference  as  most 
other  Eastern  races,  who  generally  sleep  when  they 
feel  tired,  and  eat  when  they  are  hungry.  I  was  already 
aware  of  this  Oriental  idiosyncrasy,  but  was  certainly 
somewhat  startled  when,  the  morning  after  the  afore- 
said banquet,  my  host  suddenly  appeared  in  a  weird 
white  garment,  to  awaken  me  at  5  a.m.,  although  I  knew 
he  was  well  aware  that  my  departure  was  only  fixed 
for  midday.  Yet  this  matutinal  intruder  placidly 
seated  himself  on  my  bed,  (or  rather  divan),  and,  as  he 
was  unable  to  converse,  continued  to  smilingly  con- 
template my  recumbent  form  for  nearly  an  hour,  before 
this  trying  ordeal  was  fortunately  terminated  by  the 
entrance  of  Ivan.  The  latter  then  informed  me  that 
it  is  an  old  Tartar  custom  to  visit  guests  at  dawn  in 
order  to  inquire  whether  they  have  slept  well — a  kindly 
attention  which,  if  practised,  say,  in  England,  might 
conceivably  result,  under  certain  conditions,  in  grave 
bodily  injury — to  the  host ! 

Notwithstanding  the  kindly  aid  and  protection  of 
the  Empress  Catherine,  Karasou-Bazar  is  now  com- 
mercially on  the  down  grade,  for  there  is  no  bazaar  to 
speak  of,  and  the  various  trades  and  industries  are 
here  scattered  all  over  the  town,  whereas  in  more 
prosperous  Eastern  cities  each  has  its  own  street  or 
quarter.  The  place  was  once  famed  for  its  arms  and 
cutlery,  but  the  staple  article  of  commerce  now  con- 
sists of  lambskins,  which  are  chiefly  used  to  make  the 
typical  Astrakhan  bonnet  worn  by  the  Cossacks,  and 
numbers  of  them  are  therefore  exported  to  Kertch  and 
the  districts  of  the  Don.  Perhaps  the  most  novel  and 
interesting  sight  here  was  the  gipsies'  quarter,  which  I 
stumbled  upon  by  accident,  and  found  these  strange 
people  living  in  little  reed  shanties,  plastered  with  mud, 
or  dark,  narrow  caverns  roughly  scooped  out  of  the 
side  of  an  adjoining  hill.  Their  occupants  were  scantily 
clad,  repulsive -looking  creatures,  more  suggestive  of 
animals  than  human  beings,  while  children  of  both 


THE   CRIMEA— THE   INTERIOR      191 

sexes  almost  in  their  teens  were  running  about  the  place 
in  a  shameless  state  of  nudity.  I  should  add  that  these 
gipsies  were  descendants  of  some  who  had  settled  in 
Karasou  -Bazar  perhaps  a  century  before,  and  had  none 
of  the  wild  and  attractive  characteristics  peculiar  to  the 
Romany  race — of  which  these  appeared  to  be  very 
degraded  specimens.  There  were  perhaps  a  hundred  in 
all,  who,  so  far  as  I  could  learn,  were  utterly  destitute, 
subsisting  on  charity,  theft,  or  the  occasional  sale  of 
their  female  children,  if  young  and  pretty,  to  some 
opulent  Tartar  or  dealer  in  human  flesh.  Although  the 
Crim-Tartars  are  strict  Mahometans  their  women  ap- 
pear to  enjoy  much  more  freedom  than  in  other  Moslem 
countries.  The  "  yashmak,"  for  instance,  is  now  seldom 
seen  in  the  interior,  and  never  on  the  coast — an  innova- 
tion perhaps  welcomed  by  the  young,  but  certainly  not 
by  their  elders,  for,  aided  by  this  veil,  a  plain  and  middle- 
aged  female,  if  only  possessed  of  dark  expressive  eyes, 
could  formerly  attract  as  much  masculine  attention  as 
the  loveliest  of  her  sex.  And  an  Eastern  woman's  eyes 
are  in  public  her  sole  attraction,  for  she  is  generally 
short  in  stature,  always  clothed  in  balloon-like  garments 
that  compel  her  to  walk  with  a  waddle.  My  host's 
twin  daughters,  slim,  graceful  girls,  wore,  when  indoors, 
a  rather  becoming  costume,  consisting  of  a  closely 
fitting  heliotrope  silk  tunic,  with  wide  skirts  falling  to 
the  knees,  loose  thin  muslin  trousers  secured  round  the 
ankles,  and  a  little  white-cloth  fez,  adorned  with  old 
golden  coins;  but  when  dressed  for  the  street,  they 
resembled  animated  bolsters,  and  presented  an  almost 
grotesque  appearance.  Both  were  good-natured,  cheery 
little  souls,  devoid  of  shyness,  who  played  the  guitar, 
sang  me  Tartar  love-songs,  and,  when  we  parted,  pre- 
sented me  with  some  dainty  silk  handkerchiefs  of  their 
own  embroidering.  Tara,  the  youngest,  was  like  her 
father,  intensely  superstitious,  wore  all  kinds  of  amulets 
and  charms  to  avert  the  evil  eye  and  other  calamities, 
and  when  I  expressed  my  admiration  for  a  costly  ring 
she  wore,  frowned  mysteriously  and  laid  a  finger  on  her 
lip,  for  I  had  yet  to  learn  that  among  these  people  any 
female  article  of  jewellery  has  only  to  be  praised  by  a 
male  stranger  to  be  immediately  stolen  or  lost !  Nor 


192  RUSSIA  AS   I  KNOW  IT 

must  you  openly  approve  of  your  host's  horses  and 
cattle,  or  they  will  inevitably  die  ! 

It  is  thirty  miles  from  Karasou-Bazar  to  Simpheropol, 
and  at  Souy,  about  midway,  the  country  began  to 
assume  a  less  desolate  appearance,  while  "  Tchatir- 
Dagh,"  the  highest  peak  in  the  maritime  range,  was 
here  dimly  discernible  on  the  southern  horizon.  Nearing 
Simpheropol  mud  dwellings  gave  place  to  much  more 
pretentious  buildings,  of  European  architecture,  each 
with  its  smooth  lawn  and  rose  garden,  embowered  in 
oak  and  chestnut  trees.  And,  from  here  onward,  the 
scenery  became,  every  day,  more  varied  and  picturesque, 
until  I  reached  Yalta,  that  priceless  gem  of  nature, 
which  cannot  be  adequately  described,  and  which  must 
be  seen  to  be  fully  appreciated. 

Simpheropol  (pronounced  like  Sevastopol)  1  is  essen- 
tially Russian,  and  therefore  presents  a  striking  con- 
trast to  dirty,  sleepy  Karasou-Bazar,  being  now  the 
capital  of  the  Crimea,  which  was  built,  after  the  Russian 
accession,  over  the  ruins  of  "  Ak-Metchet,"  formerly 
an  important  city,  under  the  Khans.  There  is  still, 
of  course,  a  Tartar  quarter,  but  most  of  the  town  now 
consists  of  fine  Government  buildings,  modern  streets 
and  boulevards,  several  churches  and  good  shops;  also 
a  railway  station,  on  the  main  line  from  Petrograd  to 
Sevastopol.  "  Simpheropol  "  is  derived  from  two  Greek 
words  signifying  a  "  meeting-place,"  and  was  aptly 
named,  judging  from  the  cosmopolitan  element  it  con- 
tained in  the  shape  of  Russians,  Greeks,  Rumanians, 
Turks,  and  especially  Jews,  who  seemed  to  outnumber 
all  the  rest.  There  were  several  hotels,  one  with  an 
excellent  restaurant,  where  French  cooking  was  very 
acceptable  after  my  previous  gastronomic  experiences; 
and  the  strains  of  a  military  band  in  some  public  gardens, 
the  tooting  of  motor-horns,  clattering  of  droshkies  and 
other  signs  of  European  civilization  set  me  wondering 
whether  mouldy  old  Karasou-Bazar,  with  its  mediaeval 
methods,  filth  and  flies,  could  really  only  be  a  score  of 

1  The  pronunciation  of  many  Russian  towns  entirely  differs  from 
their  appearance  in  writing.  Thus  the  city  of  "  Orel,"  pronounced  as 
it  is  written,  would  convey  nothing  to  a  Russian,  who  only  knows  it 
as  "  Areeol.11  And  there  are  many  similar  instances. 


THE   CRIMEA-THE   INTERIOR      193 

miles  away  !  But  the  market  was  the  sight  of  the 
place,  with  its  flower-bedecked  stalls  and  great  piles  of 
superb  grapes  and  peaches,  plums  and  nectarines,  any 
of  which  you  could  buy  more  than  you  could  carry  for 
half  a  rouble;  while  the  delicious  "  karpouz,"  or  water- 
melon, for  which  the  Crimea  is  famous,  was  equally 
cheap.  Here  the  vendors  were  chiefly  Tartars ;  and  this 
and  strings  of  camels,  which  continually  delayed  the 
traffic  even  in  those  spacious  streets,  were  about  the 
only  Eastern  touches  about  Simpheropol,  which  is, 
perhaps,  more  picturesque  but  otherwise  quite  as  un- 
interesting as  any  third-class  modern  European  town. 
A  genial  colonel  of  Cossacks,  whom  I  met  at  the  hotel, 
entreated  me  to  ascend  the  "  Tchatir-Dagh,"  which,  the 
colonel  explained,  lay  on  my  way  to  Yalta,  and  whence, 
he  assured  me,  I  should  obtain  the  finest  view  in  the 
world.  This  was  clearly  an  opportunity  not  to  be 
missed,  and,  although  strongly  averse  to  mountaineering 
in  any  shape,  I  promised  my  friend  I  would  take  his 
advice. 

My  way  to  the  coast  now  lay  due  south  through 
a  well -cultivated  country,  with  villages  as  neat  and 
prosperous-looking  as  those  west  of  Simpheropol  had 
been  foul  and  poverty-stricken.  Rows  of  fertile  green 
pasture  now  separated  yellow  fields  of  corn  and  maize, 
nearly  ready  for  the  sickle,  while  the  roadside  was 
bordered  by  leafy  orchards  with  trees  weighed  down  by 
ripe,  luscious  fruit.  Kilbouroun,  approached  by  a  stately 
avenue  of  poplars,  was  my  first  halt — a  pretty  little 
place  composed  of  a  double  row  of  low,  vine-trellised 
houses,  surrounded  by  a  cluster  of  low,  green  hills,  one 
surmounted  by  a  frowning  Tartar  fortress,  which,  in 
conjunction  with  a  turquoise  sky,  clear  sunshine  and 
barbaric  costumes,  was  irresistibly  suggestive  of  a  rustic 
scene  from  some  comic  opera  !  It  would  have  been  quite 
in  keeping  if  some  peasants,  drinking  outside  the  village 
"  traktir,"  had  suddenly  broken  into  a  stage  chorus. 

It  was  but  an  hour's  drive  from  here  to  Buyuk  Ankoi, 
where  I  slept  in  the  hut  of  a  Tartar  who  provides  saddle- 
horses  for  the  ascent  of  the  mountain,  the  summit  of 
which  is  about  5000  feet  above  sea-level.  But  the 
place  was  so  cold  and  draughty,  and  fleas  so  numerous, 
o 


194  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW   IT 

that  I  was  glad  to  make  a  start  at  3  a.m.,  in  bright 
moonlight  which,  clearly  revealing  an  apparently 
perpendicular  peak,  rendered  me  doubtful  as  to  whether 
its  ascent  would  prove  as  easy  as  the  colonel  had  pre- 
dicted. I  have  always  had  a  dread  of  height  and  any- 
thing approaching  hazardous  climbing,  and  can  no  more 
explain  this  failing  than  account  for  the  fact  that  the 
presence  of  a  rat  in  a  room  fills  me  with  abject  terror, 
although,  when  in  the  wilds,  innumerable  rodents  must, 
from  time  to  time,  have  crept  over  my  unconscious 
body  when  asleep.  And  in  the  same  way  I  have  oc- 
casionally, when  in  remote  places,  been  compelled  to 
negotiate  some  giddy  height  simply  because  my  objec- 
tive lay  beyond  it  and  there  was  no  other  way  round. 
This  occurred  during  my  land  journey  from  Paris  to 
New  York,  when  in  the  Verkoyansk  mountains,  (of 
Arctic  Siberia),  I  had  to  clamber  up  an  ice  slope  over- 
hanging a  dizzy  precipice  of  several  thousand  feet.  In 
Switzerland  it  would  have  been  a  case  of  ropes  and  ice- 
axes;  but  in  those  benighted  regions  I  wore  heavy  iron 
horseshoes  clamped  to  my  feet  !  and  somehow  got  over, 
although  to  this  day  I  do  not  know  how  I  ever  nego- 
tiated that  ghastly  passage,  where  a  slip  must  have 
meant  certain  death. 

However,  the  ascent  of  Tchatir-Dagh  proved  easy 
enough,  which  is  more  than  I  can  say  for  the  gait  of 
my  diminutive  steed,  which  came  down  with  me  twice 
while  on  smooth,  level  ground,  although  in  steep,  stony 
places  he  was  as  nimble  as  a  goat.  The  ascent  was  at 
first  very  gradual,  up  an  almost  drivable  road  through 
a  forest  so  dense  and  dark  that  my  guide  had  to  pre- 
cede me  with  a  lantern.  But  we  presently  left  the 
woods  for  an  open  space  of  wild,  heather-grown  moor- 
land, thickly  strewn  with  huge  granite  boulders  which 
rendered  progress  very  difficult.  Half-way  up  the 
mountain  the  sun  rose,  only  to  disclose  a  dense  sea  of 
mist  on  which  we  looked  down  as  from  an  island ;  but 
this  was  quickly  dispelled,  and  on  reaching  the  narrow 
pathway,  hewn  through  solid  rock,  which  leads  to  the 
summit,  the  day  had  become  bright  and  cloudless  and 
almost  too  warm  to  be  pleasant.  Here  I  dismounted, 
left  my  pony  with  the  guide,  and  climbed  alone  up  the 


THE   CRIMEA-THE   INTERIOR      195 

side  of  a  cliff  with  a  drop  of  a  couple  of  thousand  feet, 
which,  however,  was  only  seldom  visible  through  the 
chinks  in  a  wall  of  loose  rocks  and  boulders.  It  was 
very  tough  work  for  about  half  an  hour,  owing  to  the 
loose  stones  which  kept  slipping  away  from  under  my 
feet,  and  also  to  steep  limestone  ledges,  six  to  eight 
feet  high,  which,  as  I  had  no  companion,  were  only 
scaled  with  some  difficulty.  But  at  last,  at  eight 
o'clock,  I  stood  upon  the  summit  to  find  that  my 
military  friend  had  not  exaggerated,  for  seldom  have 
I  ever  overlooked  such  a  glorious  expanse  of  land  and 
sea  as  that  which  now  lay  stretched  at  my  feet.  Away 
to  the  north  the  barren  steppes  rolled  away  like  an 
ocean  to  the  sky-line,  with  only  two  little  islets  to  break 
their  dreary  expanse;  the  yellow  mosque,  drab  roofs 
and  green  courtyards  of  Karasou-Bazar,  and  the  golden 
domes  and  green-roofed  buildings  of  Simpheropol,  the 
modernity  of  which  was  indicated,  even  at  this  distance, 
by  a  tiny  cloud  of  steam  rising  from  the  railway  station. 
One  could  distinguish,  as  though  a  line  had  been  drawn, 
the  arid  northern  plains  from  the  fertile  fields  and 
valleys  of  the  south;  while,  nearing  the  Black  Sea,  the 
rugged  range,  of  which  Tchatir-Dagh  is  the  eastern 
extremity,  formed  a  second  and  more  substantial 
barrier,  which  seems  to  have  been  specially  designed 
by  nature  to  protect  and  shelter  the  narrow  but  ex- 
quisite strip  of  coast  between  Aloushta  and  Sevastopol. 
It  is  only  a  hundred  miles  in  length,  although  you  might 
travel  ten  thousand  without  finding  its  equal  ! 

It  was  no  easy  job  to  descend  alone,  and  some  time 
elapsed  before  I  could  find  my  guide,  who  had  strayed 
some  distance  away  to  feed  the  ponies  on  a  steep  and 
scanty  patch  of  herbage  further  down  the  mountain. 
We  then  made  a  hasty  meal  off  eggs  and  black  bread, 
which  I  washed  down  with  wine  of  the  country,  though 
my  guide  preferred  "  Bouza,"  a  mawkish  Tartar  beverage 
made  of  millet,  which  he  produced  from  a  battered  tin 
flask  in  his  saddle-bags. 

On  the  downward  journey  I  examined  a  curious  cave, 
which,  although  I  could  scarcely  crawl  through  the  low, 
narrow  entrance,  is  said  to  contain  an  endless  succession 
of  chambers  which  apparently  penetrate  into  the  very 


196  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

bowels  of  the  earth.  There  were  two  of  these  huge 
caverns,  the  one  I  visited  being  appropriately  named 
Foul-Kuba,1  for  the  atmosphere  resembled  that  of  a 
charnel-house.  This,  however,  was  not  surprising  when 
I  discovered,  by  the  light  of  a  candle,  that  the  floor 
of  the  place  was  composed  of  a  soft  mass  of  human 
skulls  and  bones,  the  remains,  as  I  afterwards  dis- 
covered, of  a  force  of  Genoese  invaders  who  were  smoked 
to  death  here  by  the  Tartars  in  the  thirteenth  century. 
This  gruesome  chamber  led  into  a  more  spacious  one 
quite  eighty  feet  in  circumference,  and  supported  by 
stalactites  which  glittered  brightly  even  in  the  rays  of 
my  feeble  tallow  dip.  I  then  entered  yet  another  and 
even  larger  hall,  where,  however,  the  air  was  so  oppres- 
sive that  I  retraced  my  steps,  although  some  years  ago 
a  French  scientist  advanced  steadily  for  several  hours 
without  reaching  the  heart  of  this  subterranean  mystery. 

Buyuk-Ankoi  was  reached  by  midday,  and  here  I 
found  the  man  who  had  provided  my  horses  greatly 
perturbed,  one  of  his  four-legged  cripples  having  sud- 
denly been  seized  with  staggers  in  the  yard.  I  was 
about  to  suggest  a  very  simple  remedy  when  a  lad  ran 
out  of  the  post-house  with  a  couple  of  eggs,  which  his 
master  eagerly  snatched  from  his  hand  and  proceeded 
to  smash  on  the  patient's  forehead,  violently  rubbing 
the  raw  yolk  into  the  poor  brute's  eyes  and  nostrils. 
This,  some  Tartars  declare,  is  an  infallible  remedy  for 
any  equine  complaint,  which,  however,  on  this  occasion 
completely  failed. 

An  hour  later  we  were  on  the  road,  and  I  sat  down 
to  supper  the  same  night,  after  a  pleasant  but  un- 
eventful drive,  in  a  modern  and  garden-girt  hotel,  over- 
looking the  sea,  in  the  pretty  coast  town  of  Aloushta. 

1  Also  known  as  "  Byng-Bash,"  or  the  "  Cave  of  a  Thousand  Heads.' ' 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE    CRIMEA THE    COAST 

Two  days  are  seldom  alike  while  driving  along  the 
Crimean  coast.  For  instance,  you  may  sup  one  night 
off  sour  milk  in  some  grimy  Tartar  hovel,  stifled  by  wood 
smoke  and  devoured  by  fleas,  and  the  next  morning 
lunch  off  an  omelette  soufflee  and  "  Aspic  "  of  quails  in 
the  Hotel  Splendide  at  Yalta,  which  is  quite  as  luxurious, 
and  rather  more  expensive,  than  the  Hotel  de  Paris 
at  Monte  Carlo.  This,  indeed,  was  my  own  experience. 

But  Yalta,  that  glittering  Mecca  of  the  Russian 
aristocracy,  is  some  distance  from  Aloushta — a  modern, 
but  sleepy,  little  place,  bearing  about  the  same  relation 
to  its  fashionable  neighbour  as  Saint-Raphael  to  Cannes 
or  Nice.  It  is  chiefly  frequented  in  summer  by  trades- 
men and  minor  Government  officials  who  come  here 
with  their  families  to  bathe,  fish,  and  otherwise  amuse 
themselves  without  troubling  their  heads  about  the 
"  upper-ten "  at  Yalta,  where  prices  are,  of  course, 
beyond  their  means.  And  here  I  may  remark,  en  passant, 
that  snobbery  is  quite  unknown  in  Russia,  where  people 
are  generally  content  with  their  social  surroundings, 
however  commonplace  and  humble  the  latter  may  be. 

And  those  of  limited  income  may  well  be  satisfied  with 
Aloushta,  which  is  situated  at  the  mouth  of  a  picturesque 
gorge  which  here  cleaves  the  mountain  range  from 
north  to  south,  and  which  in  hot  weather  affords  a 
pleasant  retreat  under  the  shake  of  oak  and  chestnut 
trees,  amidst  wild  flowers,  fernery,  and  rippling  brooks 
and  waterfalls.  The  town  has  some  historical  interest, 
being  surrounded  by  ruins  where  old  Greek  weapons, 
coins  and  other  objects  may  still  be  found,  while  a 
dilapidated  tower  still  remains  of  the  formidable  fortress 
which  was  erected  here  by  the  Emperor  Justinian,  as 
a  defence  against  the  Goths  and  Huns,  500  years  B.C. 

197 


198  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

Many  centuries  later,  Aloushta  became,  under  the 
Genoese,  a  place  of  mercantile  importance,  although  it 
now  contains  only  a  few  small  shops  where  household 
and  tourist  necessaries  are  sold.  There  is  a  fine  view 
from  here  of  the  "  Tchatir-Dagh,"  which  acts  as  a 
barometer,  for  when  the  peak  is  concealed  by  mist, 
rain  is  sure  to  follow,  though  this  is  a  rare  occurrence. 

But  Aloushta  is  not  a  mere  pleasure  resort,  its  sheltered 
position  and  many  mountain  streams  rendering  it  an 
idyllic  spot  for  the  cultivation  of  the  grape,  wherefore 
its  vineyards  are  justly  noted  for  their  pure  and  delicate 
vintages.  When  in  Russia  I  always  drink  Crimean 
wine,  but  had  no  idea,  until  I  visited  an  estate  near  here, 
that  the  country  produced  so  many  varieties  :  still  and 
sparkling,  red  and  white.  I  should  be  afraid  to  say  how 
many  kinds  I  was  pressed  to  sample  by  the  hospitable 
proprietor,  who,  had  I  not  finally  and  firmly  declined  to 
partake  of  more,  would  certainly  have  sent  me  back  to 
my  hotel  in  a  most  regrettable  condition  !  For  he  plied 
me  with  locally  grown  Burgundy,  Bordeaux,  Sauterne, 
hock,  and  even  Tokay,  all  excellent  of  their  kind,  and  of 
which  the  more  matured  fetched  high  prices  in  Petro- 
grad.  The  Aloushta  vineyards  covered  over  3000 
acres,  but  were  only  a  few  of  many  scattered  along  the 
coast,  where  many  little  towns  have  their  grape-cure, 
with  a  resident  physician  during  the  months  of  August 
and  September. 

The  culture  of  the  Crimean  vine  was  originally 
introduced  by  Prince  Woronzoff,  who,  in  the  early  part 
of  the  last  century,  was  the  first  to  appreciate  and  take 
advantage  of  the  favourable  climate  and  rich  soil  of  the 
littoral,  for  the  wine  industry  had  previously  only  been 
attempted  north  of  the  Tauric  Chain,  in  a  bleak  and  un- 
protected position  where  it  was  doomed  to  be  a  failure. 
And  this  first  speculation  met  with  such  success  that  the 
Prince  then  formed  a  company  to  cleanse  and  drain 
the  coast  towns,  erect  "  casinos  "  and  hotels,  and  con- 
vert the  Crimean  seaboard  into  a  fashionable  winter 
resort,  a  scheme  which,  as  it  was  honoured  with  imperial 
patronage,  speedily  bore  fruit.  A  century  ago  the  south 
coast  was  a  desert,  whereas  now  it  attracts  people  even 
from  the  remotest  parts  of  Siberia. 


THE   CRIMEA-THE   COAST          199 

On  leaving  Aloushta,  the  broad  and  excellent  road 
reaches  a  height  of  several  hundred  feet  before  descending 
again  to  Buyuk-Lambat,  one  of  the  loveliest  spots  on 
the  coast,  where  we  drove  through  avenues  of  leafy 
chestnut  trees  with,  on  the  one  hand,  the  blue,  sunlit 
sea,  and  on  the  other,  a  smiling  panorama  of  pine 
forest,  golden  cornfields,  and  green  vineyards,  with 
here  and  there  the  red-roofed  villa  of  some  prosperous 
grape-grower  peeping  out  of  the  vines.  And  behind 
the  ever-enchanting  landscape  were  always  the  moun- 
tains softened  by  haze  and  distance,  with  their  wooded 
slopes  and  snowy  limestone  summits,  which,  however, 
attain  no  great  height,  save  where  the  Ayug-Dagh,  or 
"  Peak  of  the  Bear,"  towers  1000  feet  above  the  rest. 
One  might  have  been  somewhere  between  Beaulieu 
and  Menton  but  for  the  Eastern  aspect  of  the  villages 
with  their  flat-roofed  mud  huts,  skin-clad  Tartars, 
strings  of  camels,  and  little  brown  children  who  pursued 
us  with  bunches  of  wild  roses  and  mimosa.  The  natives 
here  are  more  demonstrative  than  those  of  the  north, 
and  generally  gave  us  a  smiling  "  Salaam — Aleikum," 
while  all  seemed  happy  and  contented,  as  well  they 
might  in  this  land  of  eternal  sunshine. 

At  midday  we  reached  Partenite,  a  pretty  little 
village  with  a  "  Restaurant  "  by  the  sea,  which  was 
already  occupied  by  a  merry  party  from  Yalta,  for  this 
is  a  favourite  place  for  picnics.  Several  motor-cars 
had  brought  these  guests,  to  be  presently  joined  by 
friends  who  rowed  ashore  from  a  large  steam-yacht  in 
the  harbour.  And  I  sat  down  to  breakfast  in  dusty 
tweeds  amidst  daintily-gowned  women  and  well- 
groomed  men,  with  some  reluctance,  until  invited  by 
one  of  the  party  to  join  them  at  coffee,  for  an  English- 
man, in  Russia,  is  ever  welcome.  And  a  pretty  girl 
among  them  informed  me  that  Partenite  was  once  the 
residence  of  the  Prince  de  Ligne,  one  of  Catherine  of 
Russia's  numerous  lovers,  and  herself  showed  me  the 
walnut  tree  under  which  the  Prince  was  wont  to  compose 
impassioned  poems  to  his  imperial  mistress. 

From  Partenite  to  Yalta  the  scenery,  although  ever 
beautiful,  assumes  a  more  artificial  aspect,  created  by 
numberless  private  residences  which  have  sprung  up, 


200  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

within  the  past  few  years,  around  the  famous  watering- 
place.  These  are  of  all  sorts  and  sizes,  from  the  stately 
marble  mansion  of  the  millionaire,  approached  by  gilded 
iron  gates  and  a  private  road,  to  the  wooden  creeper-clad 
villa  which,  although  less  pretentious,  suggests  a  pro- 
portionate outlay  of  wealth  and  atmosphere  of  luxury. 
Beyond  Partenite  there  were  some  public  gardens,  a 
miniature  edition  of  Kew,  where  I  loitered  so  long  that 
our  destination  was  reached  only  after  sunset. 

Yalta  by  night  was  not  unlike  Monte  Carlo,  although 
by  daylight  it  is  even  more  picturesque.  There  is  the 
same  impression  of  wealth,  extravagance,  and  social 
unrest ;  of  palatial  "  restaurants "  and  red-coated 
"  tziganes " ;  of  shops  bedecked  with  costly  gems,  ex- 
pensive flowers,  and  the  latest  Paris  fashions;  of  clean 
white  streets  and  gaily  bordered  lawns ;  but — there  is 
no  gambling — at  any  rate  of  the  kind  which  attracts 
an  ever-hopeful  army  of  victims  to  the  Devil's  Garden, 
although  the  place  is  patronized,  both  in  winter  and 
summer,  by  very  wealthy  people,  willing  to  pay  the 
same  enormous  prices  all  the  year  round.  I  went  to  the 
best  hotel,  where  an  immaculately  attired  German 
manager  eyed  my  travel-stained  clothes  askance,  but 
apportioned  me  a  luxurious  apartment,  furnished  with 
a  bath  and  every  modern  convenience.  Fortunately  I 
never  travel  without  a  dress  suit,  for  nothing  else  was 
worn  in  the  "  Restaurant,"  where  the  women,  although 
exquisitely  gowned,  had  not  changed  their  day  costume 
— for  in  Yalta  no  lady  wears  evening  dress  except  at  a 
private  house.  There  was,  as  usual  in  Russia,  a  pre- 
ponderance of  military  uniforms,  and  some  gold-laced 
naval  officers  from  Sevastopol,  but  surprisingly  few  of 
the  demi-monde,  which  is  generally  so  numerous  in  health 
and  pleasure  resorts.  This  element  may  be  undesirable, 
but  it  certainly  infuses  an  air  of  gaiety,  which  on  this 
occasion  was  rather  lacking;  and  therefore,  having 
smoked  a  cigar,  I  was  thinking  of  retiring,  when  ap- 
proached by  a  grey-haired  and  affable  stranger  in  evening 
dress,  who  spoke  excellent  English,  and  handed  me  a 
visiting  card  bearing  his  name,  address,  and  the  signi- 
ficant words  :  "  Roulette-Baccara  "  in  one  corner.  The 
thing  looked  suspicious,  but,  impelled  by  curiosity,  I 


THE   CRIMEA-THE   COAST          201 

strolled  out  shortly  afterwards  to  a  house  with  three 
sumptuously  furnished  rooms,  two  of  which  contained  a 
gambling  table  and  the  third  an  inviting  cold  supper. 
Many  players  had  already  arrived,  and  I  recognized  at 
least  one  distinguished  personage  connected  with  the 
Court,  who,  although  the  "  Villa  Kasbek  "  was  obviously 
a  tripot,  was  plunging  heavily.  The  "  Baccara " 
table  was  unapproachable,  but  I  took  a  vacant  place  at 
"  Roulette,"  which  was  not  so  popular,  and,  strange  to 
relate,  left  the  place  a  winner.  My  modest  stakes, 
however,  were  invariably  placed  on  the  even  chances 
opposed  to  the  heavy  wagers  of  a  gilded  and  slightly 
inebriated  youth  who  sat  opposite,  a  simple  little  system 
which  I  have  worked  with  success  even  in  that  inter- 
national stronghold  of  knaves  and  crooks,  Port  Said  ! 

There  are  so  many  places  of  interest  within  easy 
reach  of  Yalta  that  one  need  never  be  dull  for  an  hour 
in  the  day-time.  I  did  not  visit  Livadia,  (which  was 
occupied  by  the  Imperial  Family),  but  there  are  now 
private  residences  almost  as  beautiful  and  extensive  as 
that  of  the  late  Emperor.  Unfortunately  the  harbour 
here  is  very  exposed,  but  several  vessels,  including  the 
Imperial  yacht  Standart,  were  moored  inside  the  break- 
water constructed  of  recent  years  to  afford  an  anchorage 
during  the  tempestuous  weather  which,  at  certain 
seasons,  rages  in  the  Black  Sea.  And  talking  of  the 
Standart,  I  have  only  once  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing 
the  ex-Tsarina,  and  this  was  at  Yalta,  where  I  had 
never  previously  set  eyes  upon  the  woman  whose  secret 
and  baneful  influence  might,  but  for  recent  events  in 
Russia,  have  caused  irreparable  injury  to  the  cause  of 
the  Allies.  Her  late  Majesty  was  on  this  occasion 
driving  into  the  town  from  Livadia,  in  a  pony-cart, 
accompanied  only  by  the  Grand  Duchess  Olga,  and  no 
one  would  have  dreamt  that  the  owner  of  that  pale, 
girlish  face,  with  its  sad,  delicately-chiselled  features, 
would  in  a  few  short  years  be  implicated  in  a  tragic 
plot  which  has  staggered  the  world  and  for  ever  deprived 
the  Romanoffs  of  all  their  former  might  and  power. 
It  had,  however,  for  long  been  an  open  secret  in  Russia 
that  the  Empress  suffered  from  a  form  of  nervous  disease 
which  rendered  her  morbidly  susceptible  to  the  influence 


202  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

of  people  around  her,  especially  if  they  happened  to  be 
clever  and  unscrupulous  members  of  the  opposite  sex, 
and  of  this  failing  the  German  Government  was  not  slow 
to  take  advantage.  Yet  although  many  secret  agents 
and  spies  in  the  Kaiser's  pay  have,  since  the  outbreak 
of  war,  enjoyed  the  ex-Empress's  special  favour,  I  am 
credibly  informed  that  no  one  ever  attained  a  greater 
hold  over  her  than  the  unspeakable  scoundrel,  Rasputin, 
whom,  by  the  way,  I  met  some  years  ago  at  Tomsk  in 
Siberia,  where  his  predilection  for  women  and  alcohol 
was  already  notorious.  How  this  uncouth  boor  ever 
became  an  illustrious  and  gifted  lady's  constant  com- 
panion and  adviser  remains  a  mystery,  (for  there  can  be 
no  foundation  for  the  infamous  slanders  which  have 
been  freely  circulated),  although  Rasputin's  treachery 
probably  proved  a  blessing  in  disguise.  For  had  it 
not  been  for  his  assassination  and  the  public  inquiry 
which  followed,  the  conspiracy  would  have  continued  to 
ripen  until  it  would  probably  have  been  too  late  to  avert 
or  repair  its  disastrous  effects.  Fortunately  the  Rus- 
sians are  a  forgiving  race,  and  make  allowances  for  the 
fact  that  the  woman  who  once  ruled  them  was  a  German, 
not  only  by  nationality,  but  by  instinct  and  preference ; 
who,  although  she  adored  her  husband,  never  really 
loved  her  adopted  country,  and  only  reluctantly  em- 
braced the  Greek  faith  under  the  very  strongest  pressure 
from  the  Court  of  Berlin  ! 

I  travelled  from  here  to  Sevastopol  in  a  motor-car 
by  invitation  of  its  owner,  a  wealthy  Californian  whose 
acquaintance  I  made,  appropriately  enough,  in  an 
American  bar,  and  who  was  touring  Europe  in  company 
with  an  English  valet  and  a  French  poodle.  Our  casual 
friendship  was  cemented  by  the  fact  that  we  possessed 
mutual  friends  in  the  Klondike,  where,  during  the  first 
days  of  the  gold  rush,  Elisha  B.  Kellogg  had  rapidly 
amassed  a  large  fortune.  So  I  accepted  this  friendly 
offer  only  to  regret,  within  a  few  hours,  that  I  had 
deserted  Ivan  and  his  old  shandrydan,  which,  although 
the  American's  "  Mercedes  "  was  the  latest  thing  in 
speed  and  luxury,  would  have  been  far  preferable.  Had 
we  travelled  at  anything  like  a  moderate  pace  all  would 
have  been  well ;  but  my  companion  was  obsessed  with  a 


THE   CRIMEA-THE   COAST          203 

desire  to  tear  madly  along,  devouring  space  without  even 
a  glance  at  the  scenery,  and  with  a  mind  solely  centred 
on  the  fact  that  some  place  or  other  must  be  reached 
at  a  certain  hour  for  the  purpose  of  refreshment.  So 
this  exquisite  drive,  to  which  I  had  planned  to  devote 
at  least  three  days  of  lazy  enjoyment,  was  accomplished 
in  under  twelve  hours,  during  which  I  bitterly  realized 
how  sadly  an  American  millionaire  can  take  his  pleasure. 
Fortunately  my  friend's  guide  at  Yalta  had  informed 
him  that  distinguished  travellers  invariably  halted  at 
certain  points  of  interest  on  the  road,  and  these  Mr. 
Kellogg  elected  to  visit,  as  he  expressed  it,  "  according 
to  schedule."  But  for  this  we  should  certainly  have 
reached  Sevastopol  "  in  record  time  !  " — or  in  under  an 
hour,  as  the  distance  is  only  fifty-five  English  miles  ! 

One  of  these  places,  (at  which  I  was  permitted  to  regain 
my  breath),  was  a  village  called  Mishov,  which  is 
rendered  interesting  by  the  fact  that  here  once  lived  a 
certain  Princess  Galitzin,  a  famous  beauty  and  universal 
favourite  at  the  Court  of  Alexander  I.  Suddenly  weary- 
ing, however,  of  worldly  pomps  and  vanities,  the  Princess 
retired  into  private  life  and  devoted  herself  with  such 
zeal  to  religion  and  the  welfare  of  the  poor,  that  the 
Tsar,  rendered  uneasy  by  her  advanced  views  and 
increasing  influence  over  the  people,  was  compelled  to 
exile  the  woman,  who  had  once  been  the  object  of  his 
warm  admiration,  to  the  Crimea.  Here  the  Princess, 
undeterred  by  a  sentence  of  banishment,  resumed  her 
spiritual  crusade  amongst  the  Tartars,  assisted  by  one 
who  had  in  brighter  days  been  her  constant  companion, 
and  who  now  further  proved  her  loyalty  and  affection 
by  sharing  her  misfortunes.  This  lady  was  known  in 
Russia  as  the  Comtesse  Guacher,  although  most  people 
at  Court  were  aware  that  the  name  had  been  adopted 
by  the  notorious  Comtesse  de  Lamotte-Valois,  who  in 
Paris  was  publicly  branded  on  the  Place  de  La  Greve, 
for  complicity  in  the  scandal  connected  with  Queen  Marie 
Antoinette,  Cardinal  de  Rohan  and  a  diamond  necklace. 
As  years  went  on  Princess  Galitzin  recovered  a  portion 
of  her  confiscated  fortune,  and  with  this  she  purchased 
the  estate  of  "  Gaspra  "  (which  adjoins  Mishov),  where 
she  built  a  charming  residence,  in  which  she  continued 


204  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

to  reside,  until  her  death,  with  the  devoted  friend  who 
had  voluntarily  shared  her  exile. 

Although  the  most  alluring  aspects  of  nature  entirely 
failed  to  arouse  Kellogg's  enthusiasm,  he  seemed  deeply 
interested  in  Madame  de  Lamotte-Valois,  probably  be- 
cause the  latter  was  associated  with  some  shady  trans- 
action concerning  a  valuable  piece  of  jewellery  !  Yet 
Kellogg,  though  a  rough  diamond,  was  an  entertaining 
companion,  with  startling  views  on  life  expressed  in  a 
dry,  quaint  manner  which  would  have  made  his  fortune 
on  the  music-hall  stage ;  while,  although  practically  un- 
educated, this  nouveau  riche  displayed  a  shrewd  percep- 
tion of  men  and  human  nature.  His  views,  however, 
on  mythology,  which  were  propounded  while  examining 
an  ancient  group  of  statuary  at  Gaspra,  were  sadly  ele- 
mentary, and  recalled  those  of  that  famous  stage-manager, 
the  late  Charles  Harris,  who,  while  rehearsing  a  ballet 
at  the  Empire  Theatre,  was  advised  by  a  friend  to  in- 
clude the  Three  Graces  in  a  final  scenic  display.  "  Three 
Graces  on  a  stage  of  that  size  !  "  yelled  Harris;  "  why, 
they  will  never  be  seen  !  We  must  have  a  dozen  at 
least !  " 

Shortly  after  leaving  Mishov  we  passed  Aloupka  and 
its  castle,  a  quaint  combination  of  Moorish  and  Gothic 
architecture,  built  some  years  ago  by  Count  Vorontzoff 
at  a  cost  of  many  millions  of  roubles,  for  its  construction 
entailed  a  huge  excavation  from  the  sheer  side  of  a  cliff, 
and  its  interior  is  said  to  equal  even  that  of  Livadia  in 
luxury  and  splendour.  But  even  the  Livadia  gardens 
cannot  be  compared  to  those  of  Aloupka,  where  nature 
and  art  have  been  cunningly  blended  with  marvellous 
effect.  The  charm  of  the  place  defies  description,  and 
I  could  have  wandered  for  hours  amidst  those  shady 
avenues,  carpeted  with  smooth  green  sward,  "  pergolas  " 
of  roses,  jasmine,  and  clematis;  groves  of  orange  and 
magnolia  trees,  traversed  by  paths,  with  herbaceous 
borders  of  every  imaginable  flower;  and  forests  of  fern 
with  their  miniature  grottoes,  fountains  and  lakes. 
Even  down  the  face  of  the  cliff,  which,  in  front  of  the 
mansion,  slopes  sharply  down  to  the  sea,  azaleas  and 
rhododendrons  grew  freely  amongst  pine  and  walnut 
trees,  from  the  branches  of  which  hung  festoons  of 


THE   CRIMEA-THE   COAST          205 

twining  creepers ;  while  nearing  the  beach,  narrow  walks 
wound  in  and  out  among  the  rocks,  every  cleft  of  which 
had  been  carefully  filled  with  earth  for  the  cultivation 
of  some  rare  exotic.  But  we  had  barely  entered  this 
modern  Garden  of  Eden  when  the  sky  was  suddenly 
obscured  by  a  dense  white  mist  which  completely  blotted 
out  the  lovely  surroundings.  These  fogs  are  prevalent 
in  early  autumn,  but  seldom  last  long,  and  when  we 
reached  Simeis  all  traces  of  this  one  had  disappeared. 

We  lunched  here  in  a  garden  off  roast  larks  wrapped 
in  vine  leaves,  wild  asparagus,  and  delicious  honey, 
for  which  latter  the  place  is  famed.  And  the  sunshine 
and  warmth,  scent  of  cherry-pie  and  mignonette,  and 
drowsy  hum  of  bees  seemed  for  a  time  to  soothe  my 
restless  friend,  whom  I  therefore  persuaded  to  remain  for 
longer  than  usual,  in  this  seductive  spot  of  which 
Castelnau,  the  French  traveller,  wrote  :  "  La  suisse  est 
fertile  en  charmants  paysages,  mais  on  Poublie  en  voyant 
le  vallon  de  Simeis  !  "  The  lower  slopes  of  the  hills 
around  it  are  densely  wooded ;  but  at  one  place,  towards 
their  bare  and  rocky  summits,  a  tiny  village  was  peril- 
ously perched  on  a  fragment  of  cliff  which  had  slipped 
from  the  mountain  side  to  pause  midway,  and  which 
looked  as  though  a  touch  would  complete  its  downfall. 

These  landslides  are  more  frequent  a  few  miles  further, 
near  the  Phoros  Pass,  where  there  is  a  rather  dangerous 
bit  of  road  under  beetling  crags  and  tapering  aiguilles. 
Portions  of  these  occasionally  become  detached  to  fall 
on  the  road  below ;  and  on  one  occasion,  about  a  century 
ago,  a  gigantic  mass  of  rock  came  crashing  into  the 
valley  to  destroy  a  whole  village.  From  here  it  is  but 
a  short  distance  to  the  Tartar  village  of  Baidar,  ap- 
proached by  a  pass  3000  feet  in  height,  where  there  is 
a  great  granite  gateway,  which  might  have  been  designed 
as  a  picture  frame  to  the  glorious  panorama  beyond  it. 
The  Baidar  Pass  is  now  drivable,  but  could  formerly 
only  be  negotiated  on  horseback  over  the  "  Devil's 
Staircase,"  by  a  narrow  pathway  hewn  out  of  the  rock, 
where  dizzy  chasms  were  crossed  on  trunks  of  trees. 
And  here  we  said  farewell  to  glorious  scenery  and  soft 
balmy  air — for  The  Baidar-Gate  is  the  dividing  line 
between  the  sunlit  coast,  "  where  there  is  little  rain  and 


206  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

no  snow,"  and  a  cloudy  and  sterile  region  where  we 
sadly  bade  adieu  to  glorious  scenery  and  soft  balmy 
air.  The  reader  may  already  have  wondered  how  the 
Crimea  can  be  so  warm  in  winter,  when  hundreds  of 
our  soldiers  perished  there,  during  the  wrar,  of  arctic 
cold;  well,  for  the  simple  reason  that  only  desolate 
downs  and  sand  dunes,  which  for  most  of  the  year  are 
covered  with  snow  and  swept  with  icy  gales,  lie  west 
of  the  Baidar  Pass.  It  is  almost  as  though  you  opened 
the  door  of  a  well-warmed  house,  to  walk  into  a  cold 
and  wintry  street.  To-day,  for  instance,  we  noticed, 
for  the  first  time,  a  sharp  nip  in  the  air,  while  the  tem- 
perature at  Sevastopol  was  15°  Fahr.  lower  than  it  had 
been  on  the  preceding  day  at  Yalta.  Moreover,  the 
sun  seemed  less  brilliant,  and  the  sky  less  blue,  as  if 
in  harmony  with  the  now  grey  and  sullen  landscape. 

There  is  little  of  interest  about  Balaclava,  save  its 
association  with  the  famous  Charge  of  the  Light  Brigade, 
of  which  a  memorial,  erected  near  the  Valley  of  Death, 
remains  as  a  record.  So  we  drove  straight  on  to  Sevasto- 
pol, to  reach  it  as  the  town  and  its  frowning  forts  were 
bathed  in  the  glow  of  a  crimson  sunset.  This  is  un- 
doubtedly one  of  the  finest  military  harbours  in  the 
world,  and  enormous  sums  have  of  recent  years  been 
spent  upon  its  fortifications,  which,  before  the  introduction 
of  modern  siege  guns,  were  supposed  to  be  impregnable. 
Only  a  few  tramps  and  sailing  vessels  lay  at  anchor  in 
the  long,  land-locked  arm  of  the  sea,  which  was,  however, 
crowded  with  Russian  warships,  destroyers  and  sub- 
marines ;  and  the  incessant  clatter  of  hammers,  creak  of 
machinery,  and  screech  of  steam  sirens,  were  somewhat 
trying  after  the  peaceful  seaside  towns  and  villages. 
Sevastopol  would  be  attractive  but  for  the  incessant 
glare,  for  there  is  little  shade,  and  nearly  every  building 
is  composed  of  limestone  of  a  dazzling  white  which,  in 
bright  weather,  is  very  trying  to  the  eyesight.  The 
place  is  essentially  Russian,  and  Tartars  are  seldom  met 
with  in  its  busy  streets,  or  indeed  strangers  of  any 
nationality,  for  I  was  apparently  regarded  as  a  spy 
by  all  around  me,  and  therefore  carefully  avoided 
military  ground.  Little  now  remains  of  the  ruins  caused 
by  the  siege,  though  one  may  still  faintly  distinguish 


THE   CRIMEA-THE   COAST          207 

the  "  no  man's  land  "  which  lay  between  the  Russian 
earthworks  and  batteries  of  the  Allies.  A  memento  of 
the  war  also  exists  in  the  shape  of  some  guns  on  the 
Esplanade  facing  the  harbour,  which  are  generally 
pointed  out  to  tourists  as  having  been  captured  from  the 
British.  But  this  is  quite  erroneous,  for  they  were 
borrowed  from  us  by  our  Turkish  allies,  who  lost  them 
at  Balaclava,  and  are  therefore,  perhaps,  the  identical 
field-pieces  which  Lord  Cardigan  was  ordered  to  re- 
capture, and  which  led  to  his  disastrous,  but  ever- 
glorious,  charge. 

Other  objects  of  interest  pertaining  to  the  siege  may 
be  seen  in  the  house  of  the  late  General  Todleben,  who 
presented  it  to  the  town  to  be  used  as  a  museum.  This 
I  did  not  visit,  but  walked  out  to  the  Malakoff,  which  is 
worth  seeing  if  only  to  realize  the  magnitude  of  the  feat 
accomplished  by  the  French,  when  on  the  8th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1855,  this  hitherto  invulnerable  fortress  was 
captured,  with  characteristic  dash,  by  Chasseurs  and 
Zouaves,  a  brilliant  victory  which  conclusively  sealed 
the  fate  of  Sevastopol.  Over  30,000  Russians  perished 
in  the  Malakoff 's  defence;  a  number  which  may  now 
seem  insignificant,  but  which  was,  in  those  days,  of 
considerable  importance.1 

My  American  friend  displayed  as  little  interest  in 
military  relics  and  reminiscences  as  in  the  beauties  of 
nature,  and  on  the  morning  following  our  arrival,  the 
automobile,  English  valet  and  canine  appendage,  were 
transferred  to  a  steamer  leaving  direct  for  Odessa,  their 
owner  having  expressed  his  intention  of  proceeding  to 
Vienna  as  rapidly  as  gold  and  petrol  would  carry  him. 
I  have  generally  observed  that,  when  visiting  Europe, 
Americans  are  irresistibly  attracted  by  any  city  or  place 
but  the  one  in  which  they  happen  to  be  located.  So  I 
here  bade  the  Klondiker  farewell,  and  all  success  on  his 
erratic  flight  through  Europe,  in  which  I  had  certainly 
no  desire  to  participate  ! 

Nevertheless   I   missed,   at  first,   the   companionship 

1  "  The  Tricolor  flag  was  hoisted  and  the  Imperial  eagles  planted  on 
the  Malakoff  within  ten  minutes  of  the  French  quitting  their  trenches.'* 
(Letter  from  Captain  the  Hon.  Harry  Keppel,  R.N.,  to  Sir  Edmund 
Lyons,  Naval  Commander-in-Chief.) 


208  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

of  this  record-breaking  fiend,  although  it  was  as  well  that 
the  latter  did  not  accompany  me  to  Kherson,  where  he 
would  surely  have  been  detained  for  two  or  three  days 
by  heavy  rains  and  impassable  roads,  and  probably 
developed  symptoms  of  homicidal  mania.  And  it  was 
only  in  order  to  visit  a  sick  friend  that  I  went  there 
myself,  for  Kherson  is  a  busy  but  dull  place,  the  journey 
by  rail  to  which  was  tedious  and  wearisome.  It  was, 
however,  interesting  to  find  that  Howard  the  philan- 
thropist died  here  in  January  1789  of  pneumonia,  and 
not,  as  many  people  imagine,  of  gaol  fever  in  England. 
And,  by  the  way,  I  noted  that  a  monument  erected  to 
the  memory  of  this  famous  Englishman,  near  the  Church 
of  the  Assumption,  sadly  needs  repair. 

Russians  call  Odessa  a  little  Paris,  and  though  the 
simile  is  exaggerated,  it  is  perhaps  the  most  agreeable 
city,  next  to  Kieff,  in  Russia.  The  place  is,  however, 
little  more  than  a  century  old,  which  may  partly l 
account  for  its  cosmopolitan  character,  and  the  fact  that 
it  is  really  less  suggestive  of  Paris  than  of  a  mixture  of 
San  Francisco  and  Marseilles.  For  there  is  little  to 
connect  the  town  with  Russia  but  its  typical  Greek 
churches  and  Slavonic  shop-signs,  while  even  the  names 
of  the  streets  are  also  written  up  in  Italian.  But  whoever 
selected  the  site  must  have  had  an  artistic  eye,  for 
nothing  could  be  finer  than  the  approach  from  the  sea, 
where  the  golden  domes  and  white  buildings  of  Odessa 
are  visible  for  a  great  distance,  the  town  being  situated 
on  a  lofty  eminence  overlooking  the  spacious  harbour, 
the  improvement  of  which  must  have  entailed  an 
enormous  amount  of  expenditure  and  labour. 

The  population  of  Odessa  must  now  be  close  upon 
500,000,  composed  of  so  many  nationalities  that  trade 
here  is  largely  in  the  hands  of  foreigners  —  French, 
Italians,  Greeks,  and  a  few  English.  But  the  Jews  are 
the  most  numerous ;  and  nowhere  else  in  Russia  are  they 
so  cordially  detested,  chiefly  because  by  dint  of  tenacity, 
thrift,  and  cunning  they  have  gradually  contrived  to 
attain  not  only  commercial,  but  political  influence. 

1  Odessa,  then  known  as  "  Hadji-Bey,"  was  captured  in  1788  during 
the  Russo -Turkish  War,  and  the  treaty  of  Jassy  (in  1791)  secured  to 
Russia  the  territory  from  the  Bug  to  the  Dniester. 


to 

*?, 

H 

O 

1 

<J    ^ 

M 


THE   CRIMEA-THE   COAST          209 

Many  a  ragged,  ringleted  Hebrew  has  drifted  here  from 
Poland  or  Rumania,  to  blossom,  within  a  few  years, 
into  a  sleek,  frock-coated  financier,  who  has  generally 
practised  usury  in  addition  to  some  other  line  of  business. 
But  the  abolition  of  alcohol  must  have  been  a  serious 
blow  to  Israelites  of  the  lower  class,  who  owned  most 
of  the  bars  and  grog-shops. 

A  steep  road  leads  from  the  landing-quay  to  the  town, 
which  owes  its  beauty  and  prosperity  to  the  Due  de 
Richelieu,  who  was  its  Governor  in  1803,  and  who  was 
responsible  for  the  French  aspect  of  the  principal  streets, 
with  their  beds  of  flowers  and  rows  of  acacia  trees, 
conveying  an  impression  of  gaiety  and  tidiness  which 
partly  justifies  the  alleged  resemblance  of  this  city  to 
the  capital  of  France.  Odessa  even  now  is  ever  growing, 
and  new  suburbs  are  rising  up  in  all  directions,  with 
buildings  built  of  bright-coloured  stone  obtained  from 
adjacent  quarries,  which  is,  however,  so  friable  that 
blocks  of  granite  had  to  be  imported  from  Italy  for  the 
principal  thoroughfares,  which  are  beautifully  paved. 
And  variety  lends  a  certain  charm  to  both  the  public 
and  private  dwellings,  which  bear  traces,  not  only  of 
Russian,  but  also  French  and  Italian  architecture. 

This  is  in  every  way  an  expensive  place,  and  the 
shops  in  the  Rue  de  Richelieu  (some  of  which  are  owned 
by  Frenchmen)  afford  every  opportunity  for  extrava- 
gance, while  there  is  here  no  "  Gostimoi  Dvor  "  to  lure 
purchasers  away  with  its  cheaper  prices.  But  the 
"  pearl  of  the  Black  Sea  "  has  one  great  disadvantage 
in  the  shape  of  a  variable  climate,  and  it  is  never  safe 
to  go  out  at  any  season  of  the  year  without  an  overcoat, 
owing  to  sudden  changes  of  temperature.  I  have 
landed  here,  in  early  autumn,  when  a  bitter  east  wind 
compelled  people  in  the  streets  to  wear  furs  and  sheep- 
skins, only  to  discard  them  on  the  following  day,  which 
was  sultry  and  oppressive.  And  this  sort  of  thing  goes 
on  throughout  the  year,  while  as  a  rule,  the  weather  in 
summer  is  only  too  often  dull  and  overcast. 

Odessa  has  flat  and  uninteresting  surroundings,  and 
its  "  datcha  "  life  in  summer  is  a  poor  imitation  of  those 
around  Kieff  and  Moscow.  Shrubs  and  flowers  are 
only  raised  with  difficulty  in  the  adjacent  country, 


210  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

although  the  town  has  plenty  of  water,  and  public  and 
private  gardens  abound  and  flourish.  Some  of  the 
former  had  open-air  theatres  and  restaurants,  but  it  is 
generally  too  cold,  even  in  September,  to  sit  out  of  doors 
late  at  night.  But  climate  excepted,  there  are  worse 
places  than  this  to  spend  a  week  in,  provided  a  stranger 
is  provided  with  letters  of  introduction.  For  hospitality 
is  always  freely  extended  here,  especially  to  the  English 
traveller,  who  will  therefore  do  well  to  avoid  the  hotels, 
nearly  all  of  which  are  inordinately  expensive. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE    CAUCASUS    (1) 

SOME  years  ago  I  travelled  by  land  to  India  from 
Russia,1  and  should  probably  never  have  visited  the 
Caucasus  had  it  not  been  situated  on  my  line  of  route 
from  Petrograd  to  Bombay.  Time  was,  then,  of 
importance,  and  it  was  therefore  only  on  a  later  occasion 
that  I  was  able  to  wander,  at  my  ease,  through  that 
region  of  snowy  peaks,  dense  forests  and  blue  lakes, 
which  little  more  than  half  a  century  ago  was  infested 
by  brigands  and  cut -throats,  but  which  is  now  regarded 
as  a  Russian  Switzerland,  and  visited,  in  summer,  by 
a  yearly  increasing  number  of  tourists. 

Caucasia,  which  is  bisected  by  the  Caucasus,  a  con- 
tinuous chain  of  mountains  extending  from  the  Black 
Sea  to  the  Caspian,  has  now  a  population  of  about  six 
millions,  but  Russia  was  compelled  to  fight  incessantly 
for  nearly  two  hundred  years  before  its  numerous  and 
warlike  tribes  were  finally  brought  into  subjection. 
The  indigenous  races  are  Caucasian  and  Mongolian,  but 
there  are  now  many  Russians,  exclusive  of  Armenians, 
Circassians,  Georgians,  Lesghians,  Persians,  Tartars, 
Turkomans,  Kurds,  Greeks  and  Jews,  all  these  tribes 
retaining,  although  they  are  Russian  subjects,  their 
own  religion  and  customs.  Over  a  hundred  different 
languages  and  dialects  are  spoken  throughout  the 
province,  and  even  Tiflis,  the  capital,  is  a  fair  imitation 
of  the  Tower  of  Babel. 

This  territory,  which  is  about  the  size  of  France, 
may  be  roughly  divided  into  two  parts  which  are 
divided  by  the  Caucasus  range,  over  300  miles  in 
length  :  Circassia  and  Daghestan  on  the  northern,  and 

1  Via  Persia  and  Baluchistan.  See  A  Ride  to  India,  by  the  author. 
Messrs.  Chapman  &  Hall,  London. 

211 


212  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW  IT 

Georgia  and  Mingrelia  on  the  southern  side — these  four 
provinces  being  again  subdivided  into  smaller  states  or 
districts.  It  is  essentially  an  alpine  country,  although 
most  of  its  ranges  rise  to  no  great  height,  and  are  of  easy 
gradients,  culminating  in  vast  plateaux  four  or  five 
thousand  feet  above  sea  level.  On  the  other  hand, 
isolated  peaks  like  the  Kasbek,  Elburz  and  one  or  two 
others,  attain  a  height  of  15,000  feet  and  the  regions  of 
eternal  snow ;  indeed,  the  highest  summits  of  the  Cau- 
casus exceed  in  positive  elevation  the  most  lofty  of  the 
Alps,  and  its  glaciers  excel  those  of  Switzerland  in 
size  and  grandeur.  Mount  Elburz,  for  instance,  is  over 
18,000  feet  high  and  is  visible  for  a  distance  of  200 
miles,  while  Mount  Kasbek,  although  much  lower,  is 
considerably  higher  than  Mont  Blanc.  The  valleys  and 
plains  possess  magnificent  pastures,  with  luxuriant  wild 
flowers,  and  there  are  dense  and  as  yet  unexplored 
forests  of  valuable  timber.  This  is,  indeed,  one  of 
Russia's  most  important  possessions,  with  boundless 
natural  resources  which,  when  properly  exploited,  will 
render  it  one  of  the  richest  countries  in  the  world. 

Vladikavkaz  x  is  a  picturesque  little  place,  not  unlike 
some  large  Swiss  village,  with  its  gabled  houses,  rich 
meadows  and  clear,  rushing  streams.  It  is  a  few  miles 
north  of  the  Caucasus  range ;  and  there  are  two  ways  of 
reaching  Tiflis,  the  capital — one  by  rail,  a  circuitous 
journey  via  Petrovsk  and  Baku,  and  the  other  by  driving 
over  the  Dariel  Pass,2  for  the  military  protection  of 
which  Vladikavkaz  was  originally  founded.  It  is  well, 
however,  to  note  that  in  late  autumn  and  early  spring 
the  Dariel  is  often  blocked  by  avalanches,  and  com- 
munication is  sometimes  interrupted  for  days. 

The  natives  around  Vladikavkaz,  although  once 
rebellious,  are  now  peaceful  and  law-abiding  people, 
called  the  Ossetes,3  many  of  whom  have  become  Chris- 
tians, and  are  even  employed  in  the  Russian  Government 
service.  Some  have,  however,  remained  pagans,  and 
the  burial  of  the  latter  is  attended  with  strange  and 

1  Meaning  literally,  "  Ruler  of  the  Caucasus." 

2  "  Daryol  M  is  a  Turkish  word  signifying  "  a  narrow  path." 

3  Some  say  they  are  descendants  of  a  party  of  Crusaders  who  came 
north  in  returning  from  the  Holy  Land  and  settled  in  the  Caucasus. 


THE  CAUCASUS  213 

rather  repulsive  rites,  one  of  which  is  to  cut  off  a  widow's 
right  ear  and  bury  it  with  her  husband  in  order  that 
the  latter  may  claim  his  wife  in  the  next  world.  Their 
marriage  customs  are  also  quaint,  a  newly  wedded 
couple  being  ostracized  for  some  days  after  the  ceremony, 
for  even  an  authorized  union  is  regarded  as  shameful 
for  that  space  of  time ;  while  a  girl,  when  she  has  reached 
her  teens,  is  tightly  sewn  into  a  pair  of  stays,  which  are 
only  removed,  on  the  wedding  night,  by  her  husband. 
But  these  practices  are  gradually  dying  out  under 
Russian  rule  and  the  influence  of  civilization. 

There  was  a  public  motor-car  service  across  the 
mountains,  but  the  vehicle  was  so  dirty  and  crowded 
that  I  hired  a  comfortable  "  tarantass,"  and  set  out 
from  Vladikavkaz  one  bright  May  morning  to  travel  to 
Tiflis  by  the  highest  carriage  road  in  the  world.  The 
distance  is  about  170  miles,  and  the  posting  so  well 
organized  that  the  journey  can  be  accomplished,  if 
necessary,  in  a  little  over  twenty-four  hours.  My  friend 
Kellogg  would,  no  doubt,  have  done  it  in  less,  but  I 
preferred  to  take  it  easy  and  sleep  a  couple  of  nights 
on  the  road  ! 

On  leaving  Vladikavkaz  we  soon  reached  the  "  Gate 
of  the  Caucasus,"  a  gloomy  corridor  composed  of  slate 
and  limestone  rocks,  so  close  together  that  there  was 
barely  room  to  skirt  the  waters  of  a  foaming  torrent. 
The  summit  of  the  Pass  is  over  8000  feet  high,  and  the 
construction  of  a  coach  road  here  was  certainly  a  mar- 
vellous feat  of  engineering.  But  it  is  only  on  reaching 
the  Dariel  Gorge,  about  twenty  miles  from  Vladikavkaz, 
that  the  magnitude  of  the  task  is  fully  apparent,  for  at 
this  point  the  road,  although  blasted  and  hewn,  at  a 
dizzy  height,  out  of  solid  rock,  is  as  broad  and  safe  as 
Piccadilly.  Upon  entering  the  famous  gorge  we  drove 
between  towering  walls  of  granite  and  porphyry,  leaning 
forward  from  either  side  at  such  an  angle  that,  here  and 
there,  they  almost  met  overhead,  blocking  out  the  sky 
and  sunshine.  It  was  almost  a  relief  to  emerge  from 
this  dark  and  chilly  defile  even  into  a  region  of  valleys 
and  slopes  of  shale,  strewn  with  huge  granite  boulders 
and  stones  which,  roughly  heaped  together,  formed,  at 
intervals,  a  road-mender's  shanty,  where  the  workmen 


214  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW   IT 

employed  are  sometimes  imprisoned,  in  winter,  for  days 
together  by  gale  and  avalanche.  Nothing  that  I  have 
seen  in  the  Swiss  and  Italian  Alps  can  compare  with  this 
scenery,  which  was  almost  appalling  in  its  solitude  and 
grandeur. 

The  only  signs  of  life  I  saw  that  day  were  a  score  of 
camels  which,  with  tinkling  bells,  padded  softly  past 
the  carriage,  while  shortly  afterwards  there  appeared, 
far  down  in  the  valley,  a  modern  fort,  with  towers, 
loopholes,  and  Cossack  sentries  lounging  outside  a  guard- 
house. This  was  Fort  Dariel,  which  commands  both 
entrances  to  the  Caucasian  Khyber,  and  which,  in  olden 
days,  witnessed  many  a  desperate  struggle  between  the 
Ossetes  and  their  Muscovite  foes.  And  again  above 
us,  perched  like  an  eagle  on  the  edge  of  a  cliff,  was 
the  ruined  castle  of  Darghalan,  2000  years  old,  which 
was  once  inhabited  by  Darya,  a  Georgian  Messalina 
famed  for  her  beauty,  who  lured  legions  of  lovers  to  her 
desolate  fastness,  only  to  have  each  one  hurled,  when 
tired  of  his  embraces,  into  the  swiftly-flowing  river 
thousands  of  feet  below. 

About  an  hour's  drive  from  here  brought  me  to  the 
little  post-house  of  Kasbek,  whence,  being  a  fine  day, 
there  was  a  glorious  view  of  the  mountain  of  that  name, 
with  its  snowy  peak  sparkling  in  the  sunshine,  and  look- 
ing, in  that  rarefied  atmosphere,  yards  instead  of  miles 
away.  Here  I  procured  a  saddle-horse  and  rode  to 
inspect  a  picturesque  little  church  some  distance  away, 
where  the  Greek  priest  in  charge  informed  me  that  the 
Kasbek  is  venerated  as  a  sacred  mountain,  the  cradle 
of  Our  Saviour  having  been  brought  there  from  the 
Holy  Land  and  deposited  in  a  certain  cave,  where  it 
still  remains.  But  the  veracity  of  this  statement  was 
somewhat  shaken  when  my  informant  proceeded  to 
point  due  east  to  what  looked  like  a  white  cloud  on  the 
horizon,  and  declare  that  it  was  Mount  Elburz,  although 
the  latter,  from  this  point,  lies  about  due  west  ! 

The  post-houses  on  this  road  were  the  best  I  have  ever 
seen  in  Russia  as  regards  decent  food  and  comfortable 
accommodation,  one  even  containing  beds  with  sheets 
and  a  "  buffet  "  for  "  zakouski."  Kasbek  post-house 
was,  indeed,  occasionally  used  as  an  hotel,  for  I  met 


THE   CAUCASUS  215 

there  an  Englishman  from  Tiflis,  who  frequently  made 
it  his  headquarters  while  stalking  wild  goat.  And  at 
dinner  that  night  a  portion  of  his  bag  convinced  me  that 
the  animal  in  question  is  excellent  eating  ! 

Mount  Kasbek  was  first  ascended  by  Mr.  Douglas 
Freshfield  and  two  English  companions  in  1868,  and  the 
trail  then  broken  by  these  adventurous  pioneers  has 
since  been  followed  by  many  mountaineers,  for  the 
climb,  except  towards  the  summit,  is  comparatively 
easy,  and  guides  may  be  procured  at  Tiflis  or  Vladi- 
kavkaz for  the  ascent.  But  Elburz  is  another  matter, 
being  more  difficult  and  perilous,  although  Mr.  Freshfield 
also  succeeded  in  reaching  the  summit  during  the 
same  year. 

I  passed  the  second  night  at  the  post-house  of  Mleti, 
where,  as  at  every  other  post-house  on  this  road,  pretty 
specimens  of  crystal  pyrites  and  various  ores,  found  in 
the  neighbourhood,  were  offered  for  sale.  From  Mleti 
the  road  gradually  descends  through  a  volcanic-looking 
wilderness  without  a  sign  of  human  habitation  or  trace 
of  greenery,  the  only  object  we  passed  in  this  desolate 
region  being  a  huge  vulture,  sitting,  gorged  and  sullen, 
on  a  crag  by  the  roadside.  The  drive  now  became  rather 
tiresome,  for  the  Dariel  Pass  is  the  only  interesting  spot 
between  Vladikavkaz  and  Tiflis,  although  the  former 
amply  atones  for  subsequent  monotony  not  only  by 
its  beauty,  but  as  showing  the  triumph  of  man  over  the 
titanic  forces  of  nature.  Yet,  notwithstanding  the 
apparently  perilous  places  over  which  we  passed,  there 
was  nothing  throughout  the  entire  journey  to  inspire 
the  most  nervous  person  with  fear  or  apprehension.1 

At  last  we  reached  the  plains,  and  vegetation  con- 
sisting first  of  clumps  of  fir  trees  and  then  more  extensive 
patches  of  pine  forest,  while  the  road  passed  through 
stretches  of  meadowland,  with  flocks  and  herds,  tended 
by  swarthy,  scowling  shepherds  armed  to  the  teeth, 
for  sheep-stealing  is  still  a  favourite  pastime  in  the  rural 
districts.  Some  of  the  villages  consisted  of  mere  caves, 
hollowed  out  of  hills  by  the  roadside,  and  I  learnt  that 
sanguinary  encounters  often  occur  between  the  occu- 

1  Its  construction  cost  about  four  millions  sterling,  and  at  least 
£30,000  a  year  are  spent  in  keeping  it  in  repair. 


216  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

pants  of  these  lonely  hamlets,  generally  arising  from 
disputes  connected  with  the  loss  of  cattle  or  misappro- 
priation of  land,  while  in  some  parts  of  Daghestan  the 
"  vendetta  "  is  practised  with  Corsican  tenacity  and 
ruthlessness.  While  driving  past  these  hovels  we  were 
often  attacked  by  large,  fierce  dogs,  which  flew  at,  and 
even  bit,  the  horses,  while  their  owners  looked  on  with 
amused  unconcern. 

Towards  evening  we  rattled  over  the  cobbled  streets 
of  Mtsket,  now  a  commonplace  market-town,  but  once 
the  capital  of  Georgia,  and  remained  here  awhile  to 
visit  the  quaint  old  church  to  which  Christ's  seamless 
robe  is  said  to  have  been  brought  by  a  Jew  from  Gol- 
gotha.1 Ancient  chronicles  aver  that  Mtsket  is  the 
oldest  town  in  the  world,  but  this  is  probably  doubtful, 
although  it  was  certainly  the  residence  of  the  Georgian 
kings  until  A.D.  499,  when  the  capital  was  removed  to 
its  present  site.  And  here,  oddly  enough,  it  was  colder 
than  on  the  summit  of  the  Dariel,  for  the  Caucasian 
climate  is  varied  and  erratic,  being  largely  influenced 
by  snow-bearing  mountains,  winds,  and  the  situation 
of  the  country  between  two  seas.  The  conditions  may 
almost  be  said  to  range  from  arctic  cold  north  of  the 
mountains,  to  sub -tropical  warmth  on  the  southern 
slopes. 

Tiflis,2  the  capital  of  the  Caucasus,  is  about  midway 
between  Batoum  on  the  Black  Sea  and  Baku  on  the 
Caspian,  and  is,  commercially  speaking,  a  favourite 
meeting-place  of  Western  and  Asiatic  races.  There  is 
probably  no  other  city  in  creation  where  European  and 
Oriental  life  are  so  closely  intermingled,  or  where  both 
races,  being  united  by  mutual  interests,  live  in  such 
perfect  peace  and  harmony.  Nor  is  there  any  town  in 
the  world,  that  I  know  of,  where  the  streets  present 
such  an  array  of  fantastic  costumes  or  where  you  can 
hear  forty  different  languages  and  dialects  spoken 
during  the  course  of  a  short  stroll.  The  town  is,  there- 
fore, attractive  by  reason  of  its  originality,  but  is 
situated  in  a  sterile,  sun-baked  valley,  formed  by  steep 

1  It  is  now  in  the  Cathedral  of  the  Assumption  at  Moscow. 

2  So  called  from  the  hot  mineral  springs  which  abound  in  the  vicinity, 
and  derived  from  the  Russian  word  "  teplo,"  warm. 


THE   CAUCASUS  217 

hills,  which  in  summer  intercept  every  breeze  and  render 
the  place  unbearably  hot  and  oppressive,  although  in 
winter  they  form  a  shelter  which,  combined  with  a  dry, 
bracing  climate,  render  this  a  favourite  resort  of  invalids. 
Tiflis  was  built  in  this  hollow,  instead  of  on  the  lofty 
plateau  above  it,  on  account  of  hot  mineral  springs, 
which  from  time  immemorial  have  been  famed  for  their 
curative  powers. 

The  river  Eair,  which  falls  into  the  Caspian,  bisects 
the  city,  its  precipitous  banks  displaying  tier  upon  tier 
of  old  and  picturesque  Eastern  buildings  with  gay 
fa9ades,  brightly-coloured  roofs  and  carved  wooden 
balconies,  the  whole  forming  a  medley  of  incongruous 
architecture,  where  no  two  dwellings  are  alike,  and  where 
the  rich  man's  palace  is  often  elbowed  by  the  squalid 
mud  hovel.  This  is  known  as  the  Asiatic  quarter. 

The  modern  and  European  portion  of  Tiflis  is  in 
imposing  contrast  to  the  dirt  and  squalor  of  the  latter, 
although  costly  goods  and  valuable  art  treasures  from 
all  parts  of  the  East  are  stored  in  its  bazaars,  where 
days  may  be  spent,  profitably  or  otherwise,  by  the 
bargain-hunter.  When  last  here  I  was  entertained  at 
the  Governor-General's  palace,  from  which  radiate  the 
principal  streets,  wrell  paved  and  spacious,  tree-lined 
avenues,  one  of  which,  the  "  Galavinsky  Prospekt," 
would  be  considered  a  handsome  thoroughfare  in  any 
European  capital,  while  several  iron  bridges  span  the 
river,  connecting  Europe  with  Asia  in  the  native  quarter. 
Near  the  "  Galavinsky  "  are  the  cathedral,  law  courts, 
opera  and  several  excellent  hotels,  of  which  the  Hotel 
de  Londres  (kept  by  a  Frenchman)  is  perhaps  the  most 
comfortable  and  by  no  means  dear.  The  tram-cars 
here  are  better  than  those  in  Petrograd,  and  the  public 
vehicles  were  almost  as  good  as  those  in  Bukarest, 
which  used  to  be  the  best  in  Europe.  The  only  drawback 
to  Tiflis,  so  far  as  I  could  see,  was  a  lack  of  pure  water, 
but  this  deficiency  has  now,  I  believe,  been  remedied. 

The  Europeans  here  comprise  Russians,  Poles,  Italians, 
French,  Rumanians,  Levantines,  Serbians  and  (before 
the  war)  many  Germans,  of  every  class,  who  not  only 
settled  in  the  town,  but  swarmed  into  the  villages  on 
its  outskirts,  which  have  now  been  cleared  of  their 


218  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

unwelcome  and  unsavoury  presence.  And  I  also  met 
many  of  my  countrymen  here  who  had  been  attracted 
by  recent  and  important  discoveries  of  oil  in  the  Maikop 
district. 

Society  was  chiefly  commercial,  although  the  Caucasian 
capital  is,  or  was,  like  Malta,  "  a  little  military  hot- 
house," and  its  streets  were  crowded  with  uniforms, 
many  of  which,  worn  by  officers  of  crack  cavalry  or 
Cossack  regiments,  were  unusually  brilliant  and 
becoming. 

When  I  was  last  there,  Tiflis  had,  as  regards  morals, 
a  rather  shady  reputation,  and  this  was,  perhaps,  partly 
due  to  the  military  element,  and  partly  to  the  fact  that 
the  lax  and  cosmopolitan  habits  adopted  by  male 
members  of  the  mercantile  community  were  freely  shared 
by  their  wives  and  daughters.  Thus,  1  was  invited  by  a 
Prince,  (nearly  every  one  here  is  a  Prince  !),  to  attend  a 
ball  which,  although  a  society  function,  was  towards 
its  close  more  suggestive  of  a  rowdy  party  in  Montmartre 
than  a  decorous  family  entertainment.  Yet  my  host, 
a  grey-bearded,  sad-looking  Greek  merchant,  seemed 
quite  unmoved  by  the  risque  antics  of  his  youthful  wife 
and  female  guests,  and  even  gravely  joined  in  them 
himself !  The  evening  certainly  opened  with  due 
propriety,  and  such  refined  and  graceful  measures  as 
the  valse,  mazurka  and  "  Lesginka  "  (a  Lesghian  dance), 
but  it  concluded,  towards  the  small  hours,  with  a 
u  cancan,"  which  recalled  the  wildest  nights  at  the  old 
"  Moulin-Rouge  !  " 

I  was  also  taken  to  a  fashionable  club  called  the 
"  Krujok "  (a  kind  of  Murray's),  where  ladies  were 
admitted  at  any  time,  even  Georgian  women  in  their 
pretty  national  dress,  which  contrasted  quaintly  with 
modern  French  and  Italian  "  toilettes."  And  the  native 
costume  was  generally  more  attractive  than  its  wearer, 
for  the  beauty  of  Georgian  and  Circassian  women  has 
been  greatly  exaggerated.  Most  of  them  grow  stout 
and  look  elderly  before  they  are  thirty,  and  even  the 
youngest  have  a  vacant,  animal  type  of  face,  which  to 
European  eyes  is  almost  revolting. 

Ball-room  "  etiquette  "  here  was  rather  puzzling  at 
first,  for  you  might  not  dance  more  than  once  during  the 


THE   CAUCASUS  219 

evening  with  the  same  lady,  whom,  on  concluding  a 
short  turn,  you  had  to  leave  standing  alone  to  be  claimed 
by  some  one  else,  while  you  sought  another  partner. 
' '"Roulette  "  was  played  between  the  dances,  sometimes 
for  very  high  stakes,  especially  by  wealthy  Armenians. 
I  must  confess  I  have  never  been  favourably  impressed 
with  this  race,  who  appeared  to  me  to  have  all  the  vices 
of  Jews  and  none  of  their  virtues,  and  who  seemed  to  be 
cordially  disliked  by  both  Europeans  and  natives. 

On  other  nights  I  went  to  the  theatre,  a  pretty  little 
house  decorated  in  the  Moorish  style,  where  I  attended, 
on  the  same  occasion,  a  performance  of  Hamlet  in 
Russian,  and  Pagliacci  well  rendered  by  Italians.  The 
evenings  were  therefore  never  dull,  the  more  so  that 
Tiflis  people  appeared  to  commence  the  day  after  dark. 
Even  business  men  seldom  rose  until  eleven  a.m.,  took 
a  light  meal  and  strolled  down  to  the  office  until  about 
two  o'clock,  when  they  returned  home  to  dine.  A 
siesta  followed  until  four  p.m.,  when  work  for  another 
couple  of  hours  left  them  free  for  the  night's  amusement, 
which,  commencing  with  supper  about  nine  p.m.,  did  not 
generally  terminate  until  three  or  four  in  the  morning. 
This  mode  of  life,  however,  only  applies  to  winter  and 
spring,  for  all  who  can  afford  it  pass  the  summer  months 
in  the  country,  either  in  a  "  datcha  "  or  at  the  sea- 
side, for  Tiflis  is  at  this  season  a  dusty  and  sweltering 
desert. 

However  immoral  this  city  may  be,  there  is  no  out- 
ward display  of  vice,  which,  however,  .  undoubtedly 
exists  on  a  scale  only  equalled  in  some  Continental 
capitals.  The  mineral  baths  here,  for  instance,  were 
largely  patronized  by  wealthy  clients,  who  paid  prices 
that  would  certainly  not  have  been  charged  for  the 
simple  treatment  of  rheumatic  and  other  complaints. 
For  a  bathing  establishment,  run  on  scientific  lines,  does 
not  generally  provide  its  patrons  with  cabinets  parti- 
culiers  and  champagne  suppers,  yet  this  was  the  case 
here,  just  as  it  used  to  be  before  the  late  Emperor's 
bogus  moral  crusade  in  Buda-Pest.  Moreover,  scandals 
have  occasionally  occurred  in  connection  with  the 
Tiflis  establishment  which  have  brought  it  under  the 
notice  of  the  authorities,  especially  when,  some  years 


220  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW  IT 

ago,  a  young  cavalry  officer  drew  his  revolver  and  shot 
a  "  droshky  "  driver  for  insulting  two  young  and  well- 
connected  ladies  whom  the  former  was  driving,  at 
midnight,  to  the  baths,  from  a  ball  at  the  Governor's 
palace.  The  tragedy  was,  of  course,  hushed  up,  although 
not  entirely,  by  reason  of  certain  divorce  proceedings 
which  followed  its  occurrence. 

A  stranger  may  walk  about  the  streets  of  Tiflis  all 
night,  unarmed  and  in  perfect  safety,  so  long  as  he  keeps 
to  the  European  quarter,  which  is  beautifully  lit  by 
electricity,  although  certain  streets  and  alleys  on  the 
Asiatic  side  are  best  avoided  after  sunset.  Some  parts 
of  the  country,  notably  those  near  the  Turkish  frontier, 
are  still  dangerous  on  account  of  highway  robberies, 
but  elsewhere  you  can  travel  quite  as  safely  as  in  the 
remoter  parts  of  Greece  or  Sicily.  I  was  never  once 
molested,  although  I  have  ridden  alone  through  some  of 
the  wildest  and  loneliest  parts  of  Georgia.  Nor  have  I 
ever  heard  of  any  serious  case  of  brigandage  having 
occurred  within  the  past  decade  throughout  the  Caucasus. 

The  latter  has,  of  late  years,  increased  in  popularity, 
amongst  Englishmen  intent  on  sport  or  mountaineering, 
and  I  met  in  Tiflis  a  well-known  Indian  "  Shikari  "  who 
had  been  there  for  two  successive  seasons  for  the 
purpose  of  shooting  bear  and  ibex,  numbers  of  which  he 
had  killed.  March,  he  told  me,  is  the  best  time  for 
chamois  and  wild  boar,  and  pheasants,  quail  and  wood- 
cock abound  early  in  April  and  within  easy  reach  of 
the  capital,  while  leopards  and  tigers  are  obtainable, 
but  only  near  the  Persian  frontier.  My  informant  added, 
however,  that  sport  here  is  deteriorating,  as  few  land- 
owners now  preserve,  and  natives  possessed  of  a  gun- 
licence  can  shoot  all  the  year  round  if  they  choose. 
Red-deer,  for  instance,  which  were  formerly  numerous 
only  thirty  miles  from  Tiflis,  are  now  almost  extinct. 
But  there  are  plenty  of  wild -fowl  on  the  shores  of  the 
Caspian,  and,  in  the  steppe  country,  good  fun  can  be 
had  coursing  hares  or  stalking  antelope,  which  latter, 
my  friend  told  me,  he  had  once  hunted  in  the  depth  of 
winter,  with  some  Tartars,  by  the  following  quaint 
method.  Each  man  was  mounted,  with  a  rifle  slung 
over  his  back,  and  holding  a  greyhound  balanced  on  his 


THE   CAUCASUS  221 

horse's  withers.  Having  sighted  and  broken  up  a  herd, 
each  member  of  the  party  selected  a  single  antelope, 
which  he  persistently  followed,  never  pressing  or  losing 
sight  of  his  quarry,  perhaps  for  a  whole  day,  until  the 
latter,  harassed  and  worn  out  by  labouring  with  balled 
hoofs  through  deep  snow-drifts,  fell  to  the  ground  ex- 
hausted, and  unable  to  move  further.  The  Tartar  then 
released  his  dog,  which  soon  seized  and  despatched  its 
prey. 

The  streams  throughout  this  country  abound  in 
salmon,  trout,  and  many  other  kinds  of  fish,  which  are 
seldom  interfered  with,  for  neither  Russians  nor  natives 
ever  throw  a  fly,  and  the  latter,  save  those  who  live  by 
the  sea-shore,  rarely  use  a  net.  Circassia  is  the  best 
district  for  trout  during  the  months  of  April,  May  and 
June,  but  it  is  well  to  add  that  a  fisherman  must  come 
here  provided  with  everything  needful  in  the  way  of 
tackle,  which,  even  in  Tiflis,  is  not  procurable. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE    CAUCASUS    (2) 

You  may  leave  the  bright  and  busy  boulevards  of 
modern  Tiflis,  with  their  stately  public  and  private 
buildings,  luxurious  hotels,  attractive  shops,  and  other 
signs  of  European  civilization,  and  walk  within  a  few 
minutes  to  the  Asiatic  Quarter — to  realize  that  you  are 
in  another  world,  as  essentially  Eastern,  in  every  respect, 
as  the  most  secluded  portions  of  Stamboul  or  Teheran. 
The  change  is  as  complete  as  when  one  picture  on  a 
lantern- screen  has  been  suddenly  replaced  by  another. 

There  are  here  not  one,  but  many,  Bazaars,  running 
in  all  directions  under  one  rambling  roof  like  burrows 
in  a  rabbit-warren.  A  guide  is  therefore  needed  to 
conduct  you  through  this  intricate  maze,  which  is 
entered  from  a  broad  but  squalid  thoroughfare,  running 
at  right-angles  to  the  River  Kur.  From  here  I  walked, 
for  nearly  an  hour,  through  a  succession  of  dark  and 
crowded  streets  and  alleys  before  emerging  again  into 
the  pure  air  and  sunshine,  which  were  a  pleasant  con- 
trast to  the  stifling  atmosphere  and  subtle  odours  of  that 
human  bee-hive.  Yet  every  inch  of  the  way  was 
interesting,  if  only  by  reason  of  the  strange  and  varied 
races  the  place  contained.  For  here  were  baggy- 
breeched  Greeks,  red-fezzed,  frock-coated  Turks,  som- 
brely clad  Persians,  and  even  turbaned  merchants  from 
Bokhara  mingling  with  Armenians,  Georgians,  Tartars 
and  fierce-looking  "  Tcherkess,"  bristling  with  daggers 
and  silver  cartridge-belts.  Here  an  Arab  water-seller, 
in  snowy  white,  noisily  jungled  his  cymbals,  while  next 
him  a  squatting,  green-robed  pilgrim  from  Mecca 
chanted  nasal  verses  from  the  "  Koran  "  and  held  out 
a  skinny  hand  for  alms,  also  aggressively  demanded  by 
relays  of  blind,  and  crippled  beggars.  There  were  few 

222 


THE   CAUCASUS  223 

women  about,  but  occasionally  a  Turkish  lady,  in 
voluminous  black  gown  and  white  "  yashmak,"  would 
hurry  modestly  by;  while  her  brightly  clad  Greek  and 
Georgian  sisters,  bedizened  with  jewellery  and  rouged  to 
the  eyes,  lingered  on  their  errands,  and  seemed  to  invite 
the  attention  of  casual  admirers.  But  they,  like  every 
one  else,  were  often  scattered  in  all  directions  when  a 
string  of  camels,  staggering  under  bales  of  merchandise, 
parted,  with  stolid  unconcern,  this  seething  mass  of 
humanity.  , 

A  considerable  portion  of  the  Tiflis  bazaar  was  occupied 
by  vendors  of  Manchester  goods,  cheap  furniture,  iron- 
ware, and  the  miscellaneous  collection  of  utter  rubbish 
formerly  "  made  in  Germany,"  and  commonplace  stores 
were  scattered  about  promiscuously,  special  streets  only 
being  assigned  to  each  native  trade,  product  or  manu- 
facture. Even  the  cookshops  and  bakers  had  their  own 
street,  where  one  could  watch  the  frizzling  of  savoury 
"  kabobs,"  and  the  baking  of  "  tchurkebi,"  a  pale 
sodden-looking  pancake  much  relished  by  Armenians. 
Adjoining  this  was  a  passage  entirely  occupied  by 
hatters,  and  stored  with  all  kinds  of  head-wear  from  the 
local  "  papak,"  of  black  or  grey  lambskin,  to  the  tower- 
ing Persian  head-dress,  shaped  like  the  mouthpiece  of 
a  clarionet.  And  between  these  were  wine-shops,  dis- 
pensing red  and  white  "  Kaketi,"  a  Caucasian  vintage 
which  is  purchased  in  a  buffalo  or  sheep  skin  according 
to  the  quantity  needed.  But  the  Caucasus  wines  are 
very  inferior  to  those  of  the  Crimea,  for,  in  addition  to 
being  rough  and  heady,  they  often  retain  a  faint  but 
unpleasant  flavour  of  the  leather  in  which  they  have 
been  kept.  "  Kaketi "  is  also  sold  in  bottles  for  export, 
but  will  probably  never  be  as  popular  in  Russia  as  the 
vintages  of  Aloushta  and  the  southern  coast. 

I  found  traders  of  every  nationality  here  fairly  honest 
and  less  rapacious  than  many  I  have  known  in  the  East, 
and  it  is  therefore  sometimes  possible  to  bargain  success- 
fully, always  assuming  that  the  purchaser  is  more  or 
less  of  an  expert  in  the  article  he  needs — whether  it 
be  carpets  and  embroideries,  or  antique  jewellery  and 
silver.  And  hours  may  be  spent  (to  say  nothing  of  a 
considerable  amount  of  money)  amongst  the  armourers' 


224  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW   IT 

stalls.  Here  I  saw  every  sort  of  weapon,  not  only  for 
sale,  but  in  course  of  construction,  and  workmen  busily 
polishing  sword  and  dagger-hilts  in  silver,  ivory  or  bone, 
fitting  scabbards  to  scimitars,  and  stocks  to  clumsy 
barrels  of  the  old  blunderbuss  type,  for  there  was  not 
a  modern  gun  or  rifle  in  the  place.  But  there  were 
gold-hilted  poniards  from  Daghestan,  Lesghian  pistols 
encrusted  with  uncut  gems,  and  murderous -looking 
knives  from  Mingrelia,  to  say  nothing  of  ancient  coats 
of  mail  and  shields,  one  of  which  latter,  beautifully 
enamelled  in  delicate  colours,  had  come  all  the  way 
from  Chinese  Tartary.  And  there  were  yet  greater 
treasures  kept  under  lock  and  key  and  only  extracted 
from  layers  of  cotton  wool  for  the  benefit  of  wealthy 
customers;  one,  an  exquisite  dagger,  with  a  hilt  of 
fossilized  ivory,  and  verses  of  the  "  Koran,"  in  pure 
gold  sunk  into  its  blade  of  blue-steel,  which  bore  the 
rippled  watermark  of  Damascus.  It  was  said  to  be 
400  years  old,  and  was  valued  at  £85. 

A  loftier,  lighter  gallery  than  any  other  was  that  of 
the  jewellers  and  silversmiths  in  their  quaint  little 
stalls  with  glass  fronts — dingy  little  dens  whose  more 
valuable  contents  are  never  exposed  (for  obvious  reasons) 
to  the  public  gaze,  but  kept  in  a  small  inner  room.  I 
only  entered  one  of  the  latter,  where  the  brilliant  display 
of  diamonds  and  rubies,  emeralds  and  pearls  would 
have  staggered  Monsieur  Cartier  of  the  Rue  de  la  Paix, 
and  where  I  bought  an  unset  turquoise  for  which  I 
have  since  been  offered  twice  the  price  I  paid  for  it. 
Outside  every  shop  was  a  large  wooden  tray  littered 
with  a  miscellaneous  collection,  varying  from  modern 
European  rubbish  suggestive  of  the  pawnshop,  to  really 
old  Russian  and  Oriental  chains,  brooches,  cigarette 
cases,  rings,  and  other  articles  of  use  or  adornment  in 
gold  and  silver.  And  here  a  "  connoisseur,"  able  to 
sift  the  grain  from  the  chaff,  might  make  many  a  lucrative 
bargain,  for  the  dealers,  although  cunning  enough  with 
regard  to  the  sale  of  precious  stones,  often  underestimate 
the  value  of  antique  and  artistic  workmanship. 

The  fur-shops  were  disappointing,  the  more  so  that 
I  had  been  informed  that  sable,  sea-otter,  blue-fox,  and 
other  valuable  skins  were  to  be  cheaply  purchased, 


THE   CAUCASUS  225 

whereas  I  found  only  bear,  lynx,  wolf,  and  astrakhan 
of  an  inferior  quality,  yet  their  prices  were  higher  than 
those  of  Petrograd  or  Moscow.  Only  the  lower  orders 
in  Russia  wear  astrakhan,  and  even  this  was  unusually 
expensive.  I  purchased,  however,  a  garment  peculiar 
to  the  country,  which  is  called  a  "  bourka,"  a  long, 
sleeveless  mantle  of  coarse  black  or  grey  felt,  which  is 
fastened  round  the  neck  to  fall  to  the  feet,  and  which 
I  have  since  found  invaluable  when  riding  in  cold,  wet 
weather.  For  the  "  bourka  "  is  waterproof  as  well  as 
very  warm,  and  protects  not  only  the  rider  but  his 
horse's  quarters.  It  has  therefore  since  been  my  in- 
separable companion  when  travelling  in  the  wilds. 

You  can  get  almost  any  kind  of  carpet  here,  from  those 
of  Bokhara,  as  fine  as  silk,  with  their  rich  crimson, 
brown,  and  ivory  tints,  to  rugs  from  Broussa  and  Beyrout 
of  less  delicate  texture  and  cruder  colouring.  The  most 
valuable  Persian  carpets  seldom  leave  Teheran,  except 
for  London  or  Paris,  where,  being  the  best  and  costliest 
in  the  world,  they  fetch  enormous  prices.  I  once  saw 
a  small  green  prayer-rug  in  the  Persian  capital  which 
was  over  five  centuries  old,  and  for  which  an  American 
traveller  had  paid  £1000. 

A  business  engagement  took  me  to  Baku,  for  this  is 
a  town  no  one  in  their  senses  would  ever  visit  unless 
compelled.  For  this  district,  although  so  wealthy,  is 
the  flattest  and  dreariest  in  the  Caucasus,  and  soon  after 
leaving  the  capital  we  entered  a  sandy,  barren  waste, 
with  only  an  occasional  hovel,  pool  of  stagnant  water, 
or  flock  of  wild-fowl  to  break  the  monotony;  while  on 
the  day  I  left  Tiflis,  the  dull,  grey  heavens,  crossed  by 
dense  black  clouds,  were  well  in  keeping  with  the  dismal 
landscape.  The  train  crawled  like  a  tortoise  across  the 
lonely  plain,  and  towards  evening  every  station,  with 
its  air  of  utter  stagnation,  one  gold-laced  official,  and 
group  of  Tartar  porters  shivering  in  the  rain,  was  more 
desolate  and  depressing  than  the  last.  The  journey 
had  seemed  one  of  days  more  than  hours,  before  a  thin 
streak  of  silver,  illumined  by  a  fitful  gleam  of  sunshine, 
appeared  on  the  horizon  between  that  drab,  arid  desert 
and  lowering  sky.  This  was  the  Caspian  Sea,  and  a 
few  minutes  later  we  steamed  into  a  new  and  imposing 
Q 


226  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW   IT 

railway  station  which,  like  everything  else  here,  savoured 
of  commercial  enterprise  and  boundless  wealth. 

Baku  is  rather  suggestive  of  some  prosperous  American 
mining  city  dumped  down  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Port 
Said,  for  this  Caspian  port  is  white,  new,  and  surrounded 
by  sand  and  sea,  while  the  oil-steeped  soil,  save  in  the 
shape  of  some  stunted,  dusty-looking  trees  and  shrubs 
artificially    scattered    about    the    town,    precludes    all 
vegetation.     But  there  was  a  business-like  air  about  the 
crowded  streets  and  handsome  quay,  where  steamers 
were  continually  leaving  or  arriving  from  Russian  or 
Persian  ports,  many  being  luxurious  vessels  with  all  the 
comforts    of   a   modern    liner.     The    hotels    are    good, 
electric  light  blazes  everywhere  at  night,  and  there  is 
also  every  modern  convenience  in  the  shape  of  telephones, 
tram-cars  and  the  like.     This  is  residential  or  what  is 
known  as  "  White  Baku,"  while  away  across  the  salt- 
marshes  and  sand  dunes  is  "  Black  Baku,"   so  called 
because  night  and  day  its  oil  refineries  never  cease  to 
belch  forth  their  noxious  fumes.     Here  the  atmosphere 
must  indeed  be  unbearable,  for,  even  miles  away,   in 
White  Baku,  you  are  pursued  wherever  you  go  by  the 
pungent   smell   of  naphtha,  which  clings   even  to  the 
sheets  on  your  bed,  and  serviette  at  meal-times.     The 
sea  itself  had,  on  calm  days,  a  greasy  appearance,  and 
an  English  resident  here  informed  me  that  when  on  one 
occasion   he  bathed  off  the  beach,  his  skin  absorbed 
so  much  oil  that  for  days  after  he  was  avoided  by  his 
friends  !     The  tainted  air  is,  however,  presumably  not 
unhealthy,  for  the  inhabitants  seemed  to  thrive  on  it ! 
This  permeating  odour  is  scarcely  to  be  wondered  at, 
for  you  cannot  walk  a  couple  of  miles  here  in  any  direction 
without  encountering  one  of  the  lofty  timber  erections 
which  are  called  "  fountains,"  and  from  which  naphtha 
sometimes    spouts    in   such   quantities   and   with   such 
force   that  it   soars   200  feet  into  the   air,   destroying 
both  the  well  and  wooden  structure  designed  for  its 
control;  a  serious  matter,  for  the  sinking  of  the  latter 
sometimes  costs  £5000  or  £6000.     And  numerous  wells 
are  bored,  sometimes  to  a  depth  of  over  1000  feet,  with- 
out result ;  although,  on  the  other  hand,  a  lucky  find  may 
occur  within  a  few  feet  of  the  surface,  from  which  the 


THE   CAUCASUS  227 

Erecious  liquid  will  gush  freely  of  itself  without  the 
ibour  or  expense  of  pumping.     The  "  Russian  Petro- 
leum Company  "  once  tapped  such  a  "  fountain  "  which 
in  two  months  yielded  40,000,000  poods  of  oil.1 

There  seemed  to  be  plenty  of  gaiety  in  Baku,  in  the 
shape  of  clubs,  theatres  and  dancing-halls,  also  less 
reputable  nocturnal  establishments  frequented  by  the 
fair  sex  for  the  exploitation  of  those  who  had  literally 
"  struck  oil,"  fortunes  here  being  as  rapidly  and  easily 
amassed  as  they  are  sometimes  lost,  for  speculation  in 
this  product  is  almost  as  much  of  a  gamble  as  prospecting 
for  gold.  Thus  I  met  one  or  two  young  Englishmen  em- 
ployed in  business  houses  who  had  made  considerable 
sums  of  money  by  investing  their  spare  cash  in  promising 
oil  concerns,  but  they  admitted  that,  even  when  "  in  the 
know,"  it  was  all  a  question  of  luck.2  This  is  partly 
proved  by  the  fact  that,  when  I  was  last  in  Baku,  every- 
body was  rushing  to  the  "Maikop"  district,  which,  it 
was  then  predicted,  would  entirely  eclipse  the  former 
as  a  prolific  oil  centre,  although  this  prophecy  has  never 
been  fulfilled. 

But,  after  all,  this  matters  little  in  the  Caucasus,  where 
petroleum  is  constantly  bubbling  up  in  the  most  unex- 
pected places,  and  where  districts  as  yet  unexplored 
may,  and  probably  will,  yield  greater  quantities  of  this 
essential  commodity  than  any  of  the  oil-fields  now  in 
operation.  Moreover,  petroleum  is  only  one  of  the 
valuable  natural  resources  of  this  part  of  Russia,  which 
provides  two-thirds  of  the  whole  country's  output  of 
manganese,  of  which,  by  the  way,  as  the  latter  is  used 
for  steel,  the  Germans  purchased  enormous  quantities 
before  the  war.3  And  not  only  manganese,  but  nearly 
every  other  ore  is  found  here  :  gold,  silver,  lead,  copper, 
zinc,  iron,  and  mercury,  besides  sulphur,  graphite, 
marble,  and  asbestos ;  all  of  which,  although  practically 
untouched,  have  been  proved  by  scientists  and  engineers 
to  exist  in  large  quantities.  Yet,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 

1  A  "  pood  "  is  thirty- six  English  pounds. 

2  The  total  output  for  the  Baku  district  in  1899  was  2,167,801,130 
gallons. 

3  The  Russian  output  of  manganese  in  1913  was  1,725,000  metric 
tons,  to  which  the  Caucasus  contributed  970,000. 


228  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW   IT 

only  oil,  manganese,  and  coal  have,  up  till  now,  been 
seriously  and  profitably  worked.  And  one  great  aid 
to  the  future  development  of  this  incalculable  wealth 
is  the  fact  that  there  is  no  point  throughout  the  Caucasus 
situated  more  than  120  miles  from  either  the  Black  or 
Caspian  Seas,  the  former  of  which  has  excellent  harbours 
at  Novorossisk,  Poti  and  Batoum,  and  the  latter,  ports 
at  Baku  and  Derbent. 

And  not  only  mineral  wealth  is  here  lying  idle,  for, 
although  Caucasia  possesses  enormous  tracts  of  country 
thickly  covered  with  valuable  trees,  Baku  is  still  supplied 
with  timber  from  the  Baltic  coast,  while  Batoum  imports 
it  from  Italy,  or  used  to  do  so  before  the  war.  But  the 
latter  has  now  devastated  the  Baltic  provinces,  where 
numberless  forests  have  been  destroyed;  and  when, 
therefore,  peace  has  been  declared,  British  capital  might 
well  be  invested  in  less  profitable  ventures  than  the 
exploitation,  (for  local  use),  of  Caucasian  timber. 

It  is  satisfactory  to  note  that  although  the  Caucasus 
is  still,  from  a  mining  point  of  viewT,  in  its  infancy,  the 
Kuban  district,  in  the  north-west,  is  already  a  prosperous 
agricultural  centre.  The  Russians  here  cultivate  wheat, 
rye,  barley  and  oats,  the  native  tribes  maize  and  millet, 
and  their  abundance  has  resulted  in  the  establishment 
of  numerous  flour-mills,  some  of  which  have  a  turnover 
of  1,000,000  roubles.  The  cultivation  of  sunflower 
seed  has  also  been  tried  here  in  connection  with  the 
extraction  of  oil,  and  with  such  good  results  that  in  1915 
over  15,000,000  poods  of  this  seed  were  collected 
and  utilized  by  oil-producing  works,  the  refuse  being 
made  into  briquettes  and  sold  as  fuel.  Tobacco  is 
also  grown  in  the  Kuban  district;  and  of  recent  years 
special  attention  has  been  turned  to  the  growing  of 
vegetables,  and  a  special  plant  erected  for  their  preserva- 
tion for  export.  The  Kuban  is  well  provided  with  out- 
lets to  the  sea,  having  the  ports  of  Novorossisk  and 
Anapa  in  the  west,  and  Rostov  on  the  north,  which 
latter  is  the  most  important,  for  it  is  connected  by  rail 
with  Central  Russia.  The  Terek  district,  (which  com- 
prises Vladikavkaz),  is,  next  to  the  Kuban,  agriculturally 
the  most  productive,  and  in  1912  furnished  6,000,000 
quarters  of  corn  and  about  2,000,000  poods  of  maize, 


THE   CAUCASUS  229 

which  latter  forms  not  only  the  staple  food  of  the 
population,  but  also  provides  material  for  the  production 
of  spirit  and  starch.1 

Since  I  commenced  to  write  this  book,  now  nearly 
six  months  ago,  stupendous  changes  have  taken  place 
in  Russia,  where,  as  the  reader  may  have  gleaned,  I 
have  formed  friends  and  acquaintances  in  nearly  every 
walk  of  life,  from  distinguished  Government  officials, 
down  to  the  humblest  moujik.  It  is  always  easy  to 
say,  "  /  told  you  so,"  after  the  occurrence  of  any  important 
and  unforeseen  event,  but  I  may  here  state,  with  all 
due  modesty,  that  I  had  been  informed,  through  certain 
reliable  channels  in  Petrograd,  that  the  recent  coup 
d'etat  was  in  active  preparation  fully  a  month  before 
it  took  place.  It  was  therefore  entertaining,  while 
awaiting  the  cataclysm,  to  hear  the  London  arm-chair 
critics  (whose  presence  and  advice  are  apparently  so 
urgently  needed  at  the  front)  sapiently  declare  that  one 
result  of  this  titanic  conflict  would  be  to  establish  the 
Romanoff  dynasty  on  an  infinitely  firmer  basis  than  it 
had  ever  known  before  the  war  !  For  reasons  above 
stated,  therefore,  the  Emperor's  abdication  caused  me 
no  surprise,  although  it  naturally  came  as  a  shock  to 
one  who  has  now  for  some  years  been  indirectly  associated 
with  the  empire  under  the  old  autocratic  regime.  More- 
over, I  have  reason  to  be  grateful  to  the  late  Imperial 
Government  for  many  favours,  notably  for  the  selection, 
by  its  penal  authorities,  of  my  humble  self  (at  a  com- 
paratively early  age)  to  examine,  and  report  upon,  the 
Siberian  exile  system ;  a  task  which  I  performed  to  the 
best  of  my  ability,  notwithstanding  the  vague,  but  un- 
pleasant, insinuations  which  my  favourable  verdict  on 
Russian  prison  treatment  elicited  from  a  portion  of  the 
British  Press.  Again,  more  recently,  the  success  of  my 
expedition  from  France  to  America  by  land  was  chiefly 
due  to  the  friendly  assistance  of  the  ex-Premier,  M. 
Trepoff,  who  (as  Minister  of  Communications)  provided 
me  with  the  numberless  horses,  reindeer,  and  dogs 
without  which  I  could  never  have  accomplished  the 
Asiatic  portion  of  that  arduous  journey.  And  last,  but 

1  I  am  indebted  to  the  "  Russo-British  Society  "  for  these  agricultural 
statistics. 


230  RUSSIA  AS   I   KNOW  IT 

not  least,  his  late  Majesty  personally  accepted  a  copy  of 
my  work  Siberia  as  It  is,  and  graciously  expressed  his 
cordial  approval  thereof,  on  my  third  return  to  Petrograd 
from  his  then  much-traduced  land  of  exile. 

I  do  not,  however,  for  a  moment  underrate  the 
inestimable  benefits  which  every  class,  (but  one),  in 
Russia  is  now  likely  to  enjoy,  under  the  newly  established 
democratic  Government.  Yet,  at  the  same  time,  I  am 
convinced  that  had  it  not  been  for  the  ex-Tsar's  lament- 
able lack  of  firmness,  and  inability  to  control  a  neurotic 
wife  of  pronounced  German  sympathies,  he  would  have 
remained  the  idol  of  his  people  until  the  day  of  his 
death.  But  fate  has  willed  it  otherwise,  and  perhaps, 
all  things  considered,  fate  has  acted  for  the  best.  For 
indomitable  will  is  an  essential  quality  in  the  ruler  of 
any  great  empire,  and  there  can  unfortunately  be  little 
doubt  that  the  Grand  Duke  Nicholas,  in  his  famous 
letter  of  protest  to  the  Emperor,  summed  up  the  latter 's 
character  with  fatal  accuracy. 

"  Your  first  impulse  and  decision,"  he  wrote,  "  are 
always  remarkably  true  and  to  the  point,  but  as  soon 
as  other  influences  supervene,  you  begin  to  waver,  and 
your  ultimate  conclusions  are  not  the  same.  If  you 
could  remove  the  persistent  interference  of  dark  forces 
in  all  matters,  the  regeneration  of  Russia  would  instantly 
be  advanced  and  you  would  regain  the  confidence  of 
your  subjects." 

But  this  decisive  mode  of  action,  although  it  would 
undoubtedly  have  been  adopted,  at  the  first  sign  of 
treachery,  by  his  illustrious  namesake  and  predecessor, 
was  beyond  the  power  of  Nicholas  II. 

Yet  no  throne  was  ever  graced  by  a  monarch  more 
universally  beloved  or  one  more  solicitous  of  the  happi- 
ness and  welfare  of  his  subjects.  "  There  is  no  one  to 
aid  and  protect  me  !  "  was  a  remark  once  made  to  the 
writer  by  an  unjustly  convicted  Siberian  exile ;  "  for 
God  is  in  his  Heaven,  and  my  '  Little  Father  '  is  far 
away  !  " 

Nevertheless  whatever  may  be  the  ultimate  effect  of 
this  happily  bloodless  revolution,  Russia  has,  at  any 
rate,  been  delivered  of  the  malignant  cancer  which  was 
eating  its  way  into  her  very  heart  in  the  shape  of  Ger- 


THE   CAUCASUS  231 

many's  growing  influence  and  power.  I  have  had  many 
opportunities,  during  my  long  connection  with  the 
country,  of  observing  the  Kaiser's  methods  of  "  peaceful 
penetration,"  which  have  at  length  aroused  the  pent- 
up  rage  and  resentment  of  a  long-suffering  people,  and 
called  forth  their  summary  vengeance  not  only  upon  the 
accursed  Hun,  but  his  even  more  perfidious  Russian 
colleagues.  And  I  have  often  wondered  that  this  has 
not  occurred  before.  For  it  was  pitiable,  during  recent 
years,  to  witness  this  great  empire  helplessly  writhing 
in  the  tentacles  of  the  unclean  octopus  which  cajoled 
and  fooled  the  Court,  corrupted  the  army  and  navy, 
had  its  agents  in  the  Duma,  dominated  nearly  every 
branch  of  trade  and  commerce,  and  even,  by  dint  of 
usury,  bribery,  and  other  nefarious  devices,  sought  to 
undermine  the  patriotism  of  the  staunch  and  loyal 
moujik.  I  have  met  these  miserable  German  parasites 
everywhere,  managing  palatial  banks  in  Petrograd,  or 
running  squalid  grog-shops  in  the  remotest  parts  of 
Siberia,  and  marvelled  at  the  tolerance  and  even  kind- 
ness displayed,  in  both  cases,  by  generous  and  warm- 
hearted Russians  towards  these  crafty  spies  and  emis- 
saries, deputed  to  encompass  the  downfall  and  destruction 
of  the  people  whose  friendship  and  hospitality  they 
enjoyed.  And  no  one  was  more  startled  and  amazed 
than  these  contemptible  creatures  when  the  storm  broke, 
like  a  crash  of  thunder  from  a  summer  sky,  and  Teutonic 
intrigue  and  oppression  became  a  nightmare  of  the 
past. 

May  it  never  be  forgotten  that  although  his  pro-Ger- 
man consort  has  been  the  guiding  spirit  of  the  "  dark 
forces  "  alluded  to  by  the  Grand  Duke  Nicholas,  and 
the  prime  mover  in  the  despicable  conspiracy  which 
would  have  crippled  the  Russian  Army  and  concluded 
a  shameful  peace,  the  Tsar  has  always  endeavoured 
to  fulfil  his  sacred  duties  towards  his  people,  and  his 
pledged  word  to  the  Allies.  Now  the  "  dark  forces  " 
have  been  scattered  to  the  four  winds,  and  Holy  Russia, 
ever  true  to  her  glorious  traditions  and  faithful  to  her 
friends,  stands  forth,  once  more  free  and  unfettered, 
to  accomplish  her  great  destiny. 

The  change  from  a  "  paternal  "  to  a  "  democratic  " 


232  RUSSIA   AS   I   KNOW   IT 

Government  is  no  doubt  a  drastic  one,  yet  if  the  "  zemst- 
vos  "  (or  rural  councils)  have  already  shown  that  even 
the  moujiks  are  capable  of  ruling  themselves,  the  more 
educated  middle  classes  may  surely  be  trusted  with  a 
voice  in  the  government  of  the  country.  Russia  has 
been  called  "  an  overgrown  baby,"  probably  because 
her  people  have  always  been  treated  as  children ;  whom, 
however,  the  war  has  inspired  with  a  greater  sense  of 
responsibility,  and  a  more  matured  and  experienced 
outlook  on  life.  Wider  political  and  international 
knowledge,  unrestricted  education,  the  liberty  of  the 
Press,  and  absolute  freedom  of  the  subject,  are  republican 
reforms  which  must,  in  due  time,  produce  beneficial 
results  amongst  the  lower  classes,  especially  in  the 
agricultural  and  industrial  world.  Moreover,  the  im- 
pending doom  of  Germany  will  serve  as  an  imperishable 
warning  that  the  welfare  of  a  nation  lies  rather  in  peaceful 
and  profitable  relations  with  neighbouring  states  than 
in  a  policy  of  military  power,  and  the  lust  of  war  and 
conquest. 

And  whatever  may  happen,  in  the  future,  in  other 
countries,  the  Russian  people  are  now  firmly  resolved 
that  neither  Germans  nor  their  adherents,  of  whatever 
nationality,  shall  again  dwell  in  their  midst.  Moreover, 
it  is  to  be  hoped  that  their  beloved  country's  narrow 
escape  from  the  deadly  peril  by  which  she  was  recently 
menaced  may  impel  our  Russian  Allies  to  enter  the 
approaching  struggle  for  final  and  decisive  victory  with 
even  greater  zest  and  gallantry  than  before  the  day  of 
their  deliverance. 

And  so,  with  this  fervent  wish,  I  close  these  random 
notes  and  recollections  of  European  Russia  and  Siberia, 
wherein,  if  I  have  on  occasion  been  compelled  to  undergo 
the  sufferings  inseparable  from  Arctic  travel,  I  have 
also,  in  their  less  remote  regions,  formed  the  closest 
friendships,  and  passed  some  of  the  happiest  years  of 
my  life. 

THE   END 


PRINTED  IN  GREAT  BRITAIN  BY  RICHARD  CLAY  &  SONS,  LIMITED, 

BRrNBWICK    ST.,    STAMFORD   ST.,    S.E.,    AND   BUNOAY,    SUFFOLK- 


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